(Radio Iowa) – Iran threatens to retaliate after the U-S military on Monday blockaded Iranian ports in the Straight of Hormuz, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says there are reasons for some optimism. “It seems like Iran is ready to come back to the table and talk,” Grassley says. “If it has that positive outcome and we get a diplomatic solution to this, it’s a very worthy outcome.”
There are efforts to prompt the U-S and Iran to restart negotiations before the ceasefire runs out next week. Estimates on the cost of the war are varied, ranging from one-billion dollars per day to between 30- and 45-billion since the first U-S airstrikes on February 28th. Grassley says the costs are continuing to mount.
“We’re going to have to have some effort to replenish our military warehouses,” Grassley says, “because we’re shooting up so many bullets and bombs and missiles that we’re going to have to spend money to replenish.” Gasoline prices remain high in Iowa and nationwide, as Triple-A-Iowa says the current statewide average is three-66 a gallon, compared to two-99 a year ago.
Grassley says this is an ideal time to revisit making corn-based ethanol blends available year-round nationwide. “I see E-15 being held up in the House of Representatives by people from Louisiana that don’t like E-15 because it competes with petroleum products,” Grassley says, “but this is a point where you need all the sources of energy you can get.”
Federal rules restrict E-15 sales from June through mid-September because of air-quality concerns, and Congress has failed to pass legislation approving its year-round use.
