US foreign policy is being pulled deeper into an endless Iran conflict, which is bad for the economy, gas prices, and ordinary Americans.

• Despite a "ceasefire," US and Iran are still trading strikes, with Iran hitting US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain and damaging Kuwait's airport.
• Trump now calls "ceasefire" just shooting "in a more moderate manner," signaling he'll tolerate small flare-ups for months to avoid all-out war.
• The war is draining US oil reserves, which run low by late summer — meaning today's high gas prices could get much worse.
• A peace deal is close on paper since both sides want similar terms, but it stalls because Israel won't end its Lebanon offensive and Trump won't lift sanctions.
• The House passed a war powers resolution to rein in Trump, but he's expected to veto it, just like he did with Yemen in his first term.

Outlook: Expect the on-again, off-again fighting to drag into the late summer, keeping gas prices and economic pressure high.