Anytime tensions are high in the Middle East, oil prices can be expected to spike. So a war in the region is pretty much guaranteed to mean higher prices at the pump. And that is particularly painful for anyone whose living depends on what it costs to fill up.

Host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR’s economics correspondent Scott Horsley about how the U.S. economy is faring, almost a month since the U.S. and Israel launched the first strikes against Iran.

Plus, we hear from American business owners whose companies are already being impacted by higher fuel prices – a long-haul trucker based in Ohio, and a pair of brothers who run a lobster distribution operation from Long Island, New York.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Mia Venkat, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by William Troop, Rafael Nam, and Maureen Pao. NPR correspondent Bill Chappell contributed to the reporting in this episode. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Oil Prices Are Up and American Workers Are Feeling the Pinch

Consider This from NPR