How the Pentagon's MOAB Option for Iran Is Already Hitting Families at the Pump

High gas prices are displayed at a Chevron gas station as an American flag flies on April 8, 2026 in El Segundo, California. (Credit: Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Briefing:

• Pentagon planners have drawn up options for possible renewed strikes on Iran that include deploying the GBU-43/B MOAB — the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal — against nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure, CNN reported Thursday.
• Brent crude is trading near $104 a barrel on Thursday, more than 70% above its level a year ago, while the national gasoline average has climbed past $4.40 per gallon as tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz continue at a record pace.
• Hispanic households — which spend roughly 8% of their income on combined energy costs and approximately 12.5% on food, both above the national average — are structurally the most exposed U.S. demographic to oil-driven inflation, and the pain runs even deeper across Central America and the Caribbean.