September 12, 2026

Good morning! Today is Saturday, September 12th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Houthi forces seized Perim Island and the port of Mokha, giving the Iran-aligned militia effective control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline as the war with Iran enters its 196th day. U.S. diesel prices hit a record $6.06 a gallon and August inflation climbed to 3.4 percent, with energy costs from the Iran war rippling through farms, freight, and the Fed's next rate decision. Jude Russo argues a congressional commission on the Iran war could give both parties political cover to reopen the question of executive war powers and revive constitutional government. and now for the details. We begin with the war against Iran, now in its one hundred and ninety-sixth day. Yemen's Houthi rebels seized Perim Island in the Red Sea on Friday, expanding their control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait. That capture came a day after the Iran-aligned militia took the port city of Mokha from forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognized government. According to reporting compiled by Luke Nicastro, the Houthis now hold functional control over Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline, raising fears they could throttle shipping through the waterway and drive oil prices higher still. The advance poses particular problems for Saudi Arabia, which exports much of its oil through the Red Sea. The Houthis have also struck Saudi oil infrastructure in recent days, including possible strikes that shut down the Kingdom's East-West pipeline on Friday. CNN reported that more than 100 U.S. military advisors are on the ground in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence and targeting support. Iran, for its part, called Friday for an end to the Saudi blockade of Houthi-held areas and a return to negotiations. Elsewhere, Israel demolished what it called a large Hezbollah facility in southern Lebanon, triggering a 4.1 magnitude earthquake. At home, President Trump attended a ceremony at the Pentagon marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and directly tied those attacks to the current war with Iran. Nicastro also notes that the New York Times reported Vice President J.D. Vance has independently sought out military commanders' unvarnished assessments of the war's goals, tactics, and likely trajectory. Brent crude closed Friday just above $100 a barrel. The costs of that war are showing up at the pump. U.S. diesel prices hit a record high Friday, reaching $6.06 a gallon, according to the motorist group AAA. That's up from $5.98 a day earlier and $5.85 a week ago. As Spencer Neale reports, the Iran war is the biggest factor in the surge, as crude oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited. Energy analyst Rory Johnston told the Financial Times, quote, "This has been not a spike but a sustained grind higher. We don't really have anywhere near enough diesel on the market." Farmers and the broader agriculture sector are feeling the brunt of the increase—diesel powers combines, tractors, and irrigation equipment. Delivery-dependent businesses are also passing higher freight costs on to consumers. Speaking at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, President Trump argued the pain is worth it, saying oil "will be going down as soon as we win the war with Iran." Those energy costs are bleeding through into the broader inflation picture. Spencer Neale also reports that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.4 percent in August, putting annual inflation at 3.4 percent, according to new figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Core prices, stripping out food and energy, rose 0.3 percent. Gasoline prices surged 3.9 percent for the month and accounted for more than a third of the overall increase, while the broader energy index climbed 2.1 percent as the Iran war continues to roil markets. Grocery prices held largely flat, and shelter costs rose 0.3 percent. The report is the last major inflation reading the Federal Reserve will see before its policy meeting next week, where officials will weigh whether to raise interest rates for the first time in three years. Despite the uncertainty, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all opened higher on Friday. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.