1. United States
2. Ala.
3. Letter

The U.S. and Israeli military attacks on Iran on March 2, 2026 triggered immediate global market turmoil that will directly harm Alabama's economy. U.S. benchmark crude oil jumped 9% to $73 per barrel in a single day, with analysts warning that prolonged interruptions to oil flows through the Middle East would have huge implications for every market everywhere because energy is an input to all production. Alabama generated a record $1.4 billion in state and local tax revenues from tourism in 2024. Our beaches and restaurants depend on visitors who drive here, and rising fuel costs will make those trips prohibitively expensive for many families. When gasoline prices surge due to supply disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz, which carries one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, Alabama families and businesses pay the price. The market reaction demonstrates the recklessness of this escalation. U.S. stock futures fell 1.7%, gold surged 3.4% as investors fled to safety, and global markets from Germany to India dropped sharply. RaboResearch Global Economics & Markets warned that a prolonged war would result in higher prices cascading throughout the global economy and adding to overall production costs. This comes as U.S. wholesale inflation already hit 2.9% last month, far above the expected 1.6%. Beyond the economic devastation, this military action is costing innocent lives, including schoolgirls caught in the crossfire. The human toll is unconscionable, and the economic consequences for Alabama families and small businesses are severe and predictable. I urge you to publicly oppose further military escalation in the Middle East and support immediate diplomatic efforts to de-escalate this conflict. Alabama cannot afford the economic fallout from a prolonged war that drives up fuel costs and decimates our tourism industry. Our constituents deserve leadership that prioritizes their economic security and opposes reckless military actions that harm both innocent civilians abroad and working families at home.