First Thing: Soaring oil profits from US-Iran conflict drive calls for windfall tax

The Guardian reports that Donald Trump has criticized oil companies for excessive profits from the Iran war — a comment that has infuriated environmentalists who point out that his own policies have actively benefited those same corporations. Since the conflict began, American families have paid an extra seventy-eight billion dollars at the pump, with the average family facing two hundred eighty-five dollars more in fuel costs due to Trump's policies. Over the past year, Trump has eased dozens of restrictions on fossil fuel expansion, exempted oil producers from environmental rules, and signed an executive order directing the attorney general to prioritize blocking climate lawsuits against major oil companies. The irony, critics say, is compounded by Trump's personal investments in oil majors themselves.

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