Iran’s latest military escalation is backfiring on the global stage as new strikes and widening regional fallout expose what a former Israeli consul general in New York called a critical miscalculation by Tehran.

Ambassador Ido Aharoni, who served as consul general of Israel in New York, joined FOX Business’ “Mornings With Maria” on Wednesday to discuss the broader implications of Iran’s recent actions and the shifting dynamics across the Middle East.

An Iranian flag lies amid rubble and debris in Tehran. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

“Iran made a terrible mistake attacking Cyprus, thus bringing in the European Union,” Aharoni told host Maria Bartiromo.

He said Iran’s decision to expand its targets is drawing in new international pressure and raising concerns far beyond the region.

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“Iran is presenting a threat to the entire world,” Aharoni said.

The former consul general argued the U.S. and Israel’s ongoing military campaign is reshaping deterrence and exposing the regime’s vulnerabilities.

“For the first time since 1979, Iran is being punished for its motivation, for its ideology, not just for their actions… This sends a very powerful message throughout the region,” Aharoni said.

“This is how you restore deterrence… This is exactly what is being done.”

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He said Iran’s long-term position is weakening as a result of Operation Epic Fury. 

“They’re not going to be the same regional power that they were before or after this. It will take them decades to rebuild the infrastructure that was destroyed,” Aharoni explained.

Aharoni underscored that Iran’s actions are impacting its own population as instability grows.

“The Iranians are the number one victims of their own regime,” Aharoni said.

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The Trump administration is working to lower gas prices as motorists continue to pay more at the pump since the outbreak of the Iran war, Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday, noting that the increase is temporary. 

Vance was at the Engineering Design Services, Inc. manufacturing plant in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where he was asked about rising gas prices.

“Gas prices are up, and we know they’re up,” Vance said. “We know that people are hurting because of it, and we’re doing everything that we can to ensure that they stay lower.”

Vance said prices will eventually start to decline. 

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 Vice President JD Vance speaks onstage at Engineering Design Services, Inc. on Wednesday in Auburn Hills, Michigan.  (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“The president said this, and I certainly agree with it. This is a temporary blow,” he said. “What happened under the Biden administration is that gas prices were high for four years. Gas prices are higher right now, and frankly, they’re not even as high as they were during certain parts of the Biden administration.”

Prices have steadily risen following U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran in recent weeks. 

As of Wednesday, the average price for a regular gallon of gas was $3.84, up from $2.92 a month ago, according to AAA.

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A diesel fuel pump at a Chevron gas station in Seattle, Washington, US, on Monday, March 9, 2026. (M. Scott Brauer/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

In recent weeks, the administration has worked with its allies to release hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from petroleum reserves in an effort to put downward pressure on prices, Vance said. 

Many U.S. allies are “suffering” much more than many Americans, Vance said. 

“So as much as we’ve got to focus on getting these gas prices down, the reality is, overseas they’re feeling it far worse than we did because we’ve taken the steps to protect our energy economy.”

Once military operations against Iran conclude, prices should decrease to previous levels, said Vance. 

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“We promise that when this conflict draws to a close, when this operation draws to close, we’re going to see those energy prices come back down to reality, because that’s what the president promised to do,” he said. “He delivered an energy-dominant agenda. It’s made us much more secure in the face of these things. But yeah, we’ve got a rough road ahead of us for the next few weeks, but it’s temporary.”

The U.S. produces more oil than any other country, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). As of 2023, the latest data available, the U.S. produces 1roughly3 millions barrels per day, followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia.