Congress returned April 14 with Democrats forcing war powers votes in both chambers; the May 1 WPR 60-day deadline creates the most significant domestic legislative test of the Iran war, with Republican defection margins remain

Gas at $4.12 per gallon nationally and diesel at $5.62 are the clearest indicators of the Iran conflict's domestic cost. Pew found 69 percent of Americans name gas prices as their top war concern, exceeding terrorism and casualties. J.P. Morgan warns $5 per gallon is possible this month. The consumer cost trajectory is the primary variable shaping public tolerance for continued operations and political pressure on the administration.

Trump announced a third 10-day pause on Iranian energy infrastructure strikes on April 1; Iran publicly denied any negotiations while reportedly continuing indirect engagement, and the April 6 deadline remains the next decision point in the diplomatic track.

The war’s newest pressure points are systemic: insurers are effectively slowing Hormuz traffic by cancelling war-risk cover, Qatar’s LNG disruption is being treated as a weeks-long supply shock, cyber risk to the financial sector is rising, and the nuclear picture has shifted to confirmed Natanz-entrance damage while broader IAEA monitoring still shows no radiological crisis.