Page F132From§Eachthe evening edition — 2 November 2026
As it ran on the front
The promise that the Iran war ends soon turned forty-one days old Sunday. The president added no new details. Asked about it, he said the war will be put away very soon, one way or the other, a phrase that commits to nothing except that the war will eventually stop making noise. The war itself kept making noise in numbers the rest of the week.
Start with the bill Congress has been trying to read. In July the Congressional Budget Office put the war's cost near forty billion dollars and called that figure conservative. By August the Pentagon's own tally to Congress was forty-two billion. By late October it was forty-seven point one billion, a rise of more than five billion dollars with no line items attached. That beat is already on the record. This week's filing is a different ledger, and it does not run the same direction.…
…(cont) In August, a mandated disclosure to the Office of Government Ethics, covering the president's financial activity through the second quarter, showed more than a thousand stock transactions, including fresh money in energy companies. The disclosure puts his oil and gas holdings as high as eighty-one point six million dollars, climbed on the war's gains. The filing does not say the climb is the war's alone; it says the war is where the gains came from. That is the reconciliation: one war, one set of holdings, and they moved together.
They are not the only thing moving. On the Guardian's ledger this week, families who heat their homes with oil are facing bills as much as fifty percent higher this winter, nearly nine hundred dollars more, on top of a crisis that predates the war. He called the squeeze temporary.
So does the president's promise. Eighty-one point six million dollars is not temporary; it is a filing, dated, with a number on it. The heating bill is not temporary either; it arrives in December whether or not the war is put away by then. Only the promise has no date attached, and on Sunday it got a new way of saying so.
“The guy's heating oil bill is going up nine hundred bucks this winter because of a war the administration keeps saying is almost over, and in the same month the filing shows the president's own oil stocks went up eighty-one million. That's not a coincidence you need a conspiracy to explain, hon — it's a portfolio and a war moving on the same calendar. The promise never gets a date. The filing always does.”
“Look, every president has investments, that's not news — the blind trust, the, well, there's no blind trust, but the point is wars affect markets, that's just economics, it's not like he called up the oil companies and said — did I say that? That's not what happened, forget I said that. The affordability thing is temporary, Antoni said so himself, on television, which is basically a filing.”
Earlier in this story
The receipts
CNN counted 53 separate occasions Trump promised the Ukraine war would be settled within 24 hours of him meeting Putin and Zelensky CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)
Trump says Iran war will end "soon" as Qatar pushes for U.S.-Iran dealPresident Trump claims his war with Iran will come to an end "soon" as Qatari mediators push for a deal days before the midterms. CBS News senior national security correspondent Charlie D'Agata breaks it down.
Congress must act to ensure that families are able to heat their homes before the start of the season Heating oil may be the clearest warning yet of how the war in Iran is deepening the US’s energy affordability crisis. Families who heat their homes with oil are facing bills that could be 50% higher this winter, adding nearly $900 to the…
Mediators have been pushing for a deal to end the U.S.-Iran war as both sides publicly exchange threats.
The four military hard-liners ruling Iran could soon find targets on their backs—and explosives in their pockets—if strikes resume after the midterms.
The 2025 reconciliation law cut SNAP by $187 billion - the largest cut in the program's history. SNAP feeds one in five American children Congressional Budget Office estimate, via CBPP SNAP tracker
EJ ANTONI: Overseas wars put affordability on hold, but that’s only temporaryReal paychecks lost 4% in purchasing power under Biden, and overseas energy shocks are now reversing the affordability gains made in early 2025.
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday escalated his rhetoric against the United States after President Donald Trump teased a renewal of Washington’s war against Tehran following the midterm elections. Khamenei said Iran’s military target list would be “updated comprehensively” to include “all physical and non-physical…
Saudi, Pakistani, and Turkish leaders met with Iranian officials in Tehran, signaling their reticence to renew the war.
"I'll meet with Putin. I'll meet with Zelensky... And within 24 hours, that war will be settled" - Trump, 10 May 2023; CNN counted 53 such promises CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)
Trump says Iran war will be put away very soon, "one way or the other"Earlier, President Trump predicted the war with Iran is "going to end soon," without offering any details, as Qatari mediators return to Tehran to push for a deal.
A resumed offensive must have a clear goal to justify it.
The US is set to rejoin indirect talks with Iran in Qatar, local media reported, after a series of signals that the US could resume military action immediately after the midterm elections Tuesday.
Trump promised 53 separate times that he'd settle the Ukraine war within 24 hours of meeting Putin and Zelensky CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)
Trump says Iran war will end 'soon'Presented by Palantir {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Trump says Iran war will end 'soon' President Trump claimed on Friday that the U.S. war against Iran will end "soon" as he mulls authorizing military strikes on the Islamic Republic following the November midterm elections. © Jon Cherry…
The Trump administration warned Iran of consequences as Marco Rubio raised energy security and Strait of Hormuz concerns at the G20 meeting.
· Big Oil Stocks Surged Due to Iran War—and New Filings Show How President Trump Cashed In from the morgue, 27 Aug 2026
· Iran’s president says Iran would return to ceasefire deal if the US does from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Trump hints at post-midterm strikes on Iran: ‘You’ll see Iran in a couple of weeks’ from the morgue, 28 Oct 2026
· Trump Issues New Mass Murder Threat, Warning Iran of 'Biggest Attack of Them All' from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Trump denies Axios report that he offered Iran sanctions relief from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· Donald Trump claims ‘Iran war will end very soon’ as midterm rallies heat up – US politics live from the morgue, 15 Oct 2026
· Iranian dissident reacts to Trump's promise to either annihilate Iran or make a post-election deal from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· Trump floats 'big decision' at UN on whether he'll 'annihilate' Iran or make deal from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Russia’s Lavrov blasts US, Western allies as “warmongers’ in fiery UN tirade from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Russia and China unite against US over Iran and Cuba in UN speeches from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· U.S. military lays groundwork for potential action around Cuba from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· The United Nations Security Council has resoundingly rejected a United States bid to extend a global arms embargo on Iran. In a Security Council vote, United States only got support from the Dominican from the morgue, 14 Aug 2020
· U.S. Threatens New Economic War on Iran by Targeting China & Tehran's Other Top Trading Partners from the morgue, 25 Aug 2026
· In Defiant UN Speech, Iranian President Says US and Israel Are the Real Terrorists from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· Trump slams reporting on removal of his endorsements from GOP candidate's website from the morgue, 27 Sep 2026
· Donalds removes several Trump mentions from campaign website from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· GOP hopeful removes ‘Pro-Trump’ mention from campaign slogan in deep-red seat from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· Where Trump’s 2026 endorsement record stands after primary season from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· U.N. experts say U.S. may have committed war crimes with 2 Iran strikes from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Trump Says 'Big Decision' Coming on Whether to 'Annihilate' Iran from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Pentagon No. 3 frustrates senators in closed-door briefing on Iran war, Trump defense strategy from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Senate Democrats, minus Fetterman, urge Hegseth to provide receipt for Iran war costs from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Hegseth on "devastation" to Iran's capabilities from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump admits Iran war will not end before midterms from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Iran War Trump Said Would Be Quick Has Now Lasted 6 Months With 'No End In Sight' from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· CBO Finds Trump's Iran War Has Already Cost Nearly $40 Billion—And That's a 'Conservative' Estimate from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Tillis supports Hegseth impeachment resolution: 'He needs to go' from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie Files Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth for Illegal Iran War, Boat Murders from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Massie launches effort to impeach Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Tillis urges Trump to fire Hegseth over 'inept management' of military from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Tillis renews calls for Hegseth’s firing after Driscoll’s departure: ‘I have never witnessed more inept management’ from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Farmer who voted for Trump says farmers are "all just in survival mode" from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Farmer who voted for Trump says "I can't stay in business" amid rising costs from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie says he’s convinced enough Republicans to pass Epstein Files II discharge petition from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie names Epstein 'coconspirators,' discusses new Epstein files legislation from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Read Thomas Massie’s eight impeachment charges against Pete Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Fake Republican midterm convention site still redirects to Epstein files from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Trump says he has a ‘big decision’ coming up on Iran: ‘Do I want to go in and annihilate them’ from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Fox News Poll: 71% think Trump administration lacks plan to end Iran war from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran recently downed at least 2 American drones, officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Live updates: Energy secretary downplays rising gas prices as US, Iran trade strikes from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· U.S. Strike on Iranian School May Have Been War Crime, U.N. Report Says from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN Inquiry Finds US Strike on Minab, Iran That Killed 123 Children Was War Crime from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN investigators conclude ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe certain US strikes in Iran were war crimes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN Suspects US War Crimes in Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· US Condemned for 'War Crimes' After Bombing of Wedding Party in Iran from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· US investigating if missile hit Iranian wedding ceremony, killing 4 from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Trump says he has a ‘big decision coming up’ on Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· White House issues explosive response to UN-backed report claiming US committed war crimes against world’s No.1 sponsor of terror, Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Human rights experts: 'Reasonable grounds' to believe US committed war crimes with Iran strikes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· US Energy Consumers Have Spent $121 Billion Extra Since Trump Launched Iran War: Moody's from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran downed at least 2 American drones in recent days, U.S. officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran: Account of US Air Force colonel's rescue 'fictional' from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Consumer Burden of Trump Iran War Exceeds $100 Billion as Oil Prices Pass $100 a Barrel from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· 'A Serious and Alarming Threat': US Bombing, Blockade Deepen Iran Medical Crisis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Consumer Confidence Hits Lowest Level in Months as US Faces 'Trump's Reckless Tariffs and War With Iran' from the morgue, 25 Aug 2026
· U.S. Air Force officer rescued from Iran speaks for the first time to 60 Minutes from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Rep. Thomas Massie forcing vote on Pete Hegseth's impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Did Johnson Just Adjourn Congress for 7 Weeks to Avoid Massie's Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth? from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Massie saying Johnson is sending the House home early to prevent Hegseth impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· ‘You’re Elected to Fight and Kill the Other Side’: How Congress Lost Its Way from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Army combat veteran challenging Mike Lawler calls Hegseth national security 'hazard,' backs impeachment from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Former Air Force secretary says he 'couldn't serve' in Trump administration from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Former Air Force secretary: Hegseth's Pentagon 'dysfunctional' from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· House Republicans split over leaving Washington early for campaign trail from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Since 2025, Trump Made More Stock Trades Than All 535 Congress Members Combined from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Fossil Fuel Advertising Contracts Hit Record High as Big Oil Pockets Billions From Iran War from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· 'How are we gonna get through this?' Many Americans are struggling as prices rise from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Trump's Top Oil Stocks Have Made Him Up to $4.4 Million Richer During Iran War: Analysis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· 'Trump Did It!': At $5.85 a Gallon, Diesel Price Hits All-Time High in US Thanks to War on Iran from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Gas prices reach Labor Day high amid Iran war from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.