US intensifies economic pressure on Iran to force Tehran to back down over Strait of Hormuz - #NewVM2 #Dailyworldnews

The United States is intensifying its economic pressure on Iran, hoping tougher sanctions will force Tehran to back down over these stratable moves. But as the U.S. midterm elections approach, Republicans are warning the conflict could affect their chances on polling day. The White House is downplaying the Iran war as not a war, with no talks on the horizon to find an off-ramp to the now six-month conflict. A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing. But the U.S. is being blamed for a strike that killed five people at a wedding in southern Iran. This was not a military area or anything like that. Though the administration is skeptical of the claims, a Pentagon investigation is underway. The United States never targets civilians in combat. Unfortunately, obviously, sometimes things happen. Economic pressure by the U.S. is having serious effects on Iran's economy, in large part due to the blockade on Iran's oil exports, their main source of revenue. The local currency has lost half of its value against the dollar in the past year. We are applying sanctions like have never been seen before that are going to asphyxiate the regime. But the continued stalemate has lawmakers coming to terms with the likelihood that the conflict will extend beyond the midterms. The price of diesel hit a new record Friday, $5.85 a gallon, pushing up the cost of everything else. What people care about is what they spend for everything. And some congressional seats previously viewed as safe bets in November are now considered to be toss-ups. It's going to be a nip and tuck election all across the country. A July Fox News poll found more than half of voters opposed the war, and nearly two-thirds expected to last a year or more.