A long Iran war is hitting American wallets hard, and that is bad news for anyone already struggling with high prices.

• Top White House advisers now warn the war could drag on until 2029.
• Gas has hit $10 a gallon in parts of California, and drivers everywhere are feeling higher prices.
• Diesel and motor oil are getting scarce and expensive too, raising the cost of moving goods.
• Trump won partly on promises to fix the affordability problem, and economic warfare is pushing prices the other way.
• The claim that time favors the U.S. in this fight looks wrong, since the West absorbs much of the pain.

Outlook: Expect inflation to keep climbing as long as the war and the pressure campaign continue.