Al Jazeera reports that the Iran war has become a central economic issue in the U.S. midterm elections, with Democrats linking the conflict to the cost of living to criticize Trump-backed Republican candidates. Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed stated in Wednesday's debate that rising gasoline and food prices are both related to the Iran war. A survey shows that 60% of potential voters disapprove of Donald Trump's handling of the war, and 81% of respondents believe the conflict has increased the cost of living. Since the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, Iran has disrupted the flow of energy products through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to soaring oil and gas prices. As of Thursday, the average price of gasoline in the U.S. has risen from less than $3/gallon before the war to over $4.27/gallon. Although Republican candidate Mike Rogers has called for a swift end to the conflict, Donald Trump still views the war as "a tremendous success" and has hinted at potentially restarting full-scale combat after the midterm elections.