¶ Overview
Sullivan defended Trump’s war with Iran despite the conflict driving up fuel prices for Alaska communities. On three separate occasions, he voted down resolutions to curb the conflict while Alaska families struggled to make ends meet. The war’s resulting price spikes were endangering Alaska villages and risking an ‘apocalyptic’ winter of fuel shortages.
¶ Sullivan Supported Trump's Iran War, Which Increased Costs For Alaskans
¶ Sullivan Supported Trump’s Attacks On Iran
Sullivan Told Reporters That He Supported The US Attack On Iran, Calling Iranian Leaders “Terrorists.” According to Alaska Public Media, “U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said he supports the U.S. attack on Iran because, he said, the Trump administration’s attempts at diplomacy failed to stop Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons. ‘I'm not someone that, in general, would support kind of taking out world leaders. But I think these guys, … my belief is that they’re less world leaders than terrorists, right?’ Sullivan spoke to reporters at a Senate subcommittee hearing in Anchorage Saturday, just as news broke that the strikes had eliminated Tehran’s top echelon, including its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Sullivan called the situation fluid and dangerous.” [Alaska Public Media, 2/28/26]
[VIDEO] Sullivan Claimed The Iran Conflict Was “Going Well.” “So this terrorist regime has been at war with us for almost 50 years. And as you know, we have needed to bring back deterrence with regard to Iran. During the Biden administration, they could do anything they wanted to. Our military is you know, they bombed the air and sent missiles and drones at the USS Karni, a destroyer in the Persian Gulf, over 100 and Biden never did anything to retaliate. Those days are over. And I think right now the conflict is going well.” [Hugh Hewitt Show, 03/05/26]
¶ Sullivan Voted Against War Powers Resolutions To Reign In Trump’s Attacks
Sullivan Voted Down The War Powers Resolution That Aimed To Limit Trump’s Iran Incursion. Sen. Sullivan posted, “I voted against the war powers resolution today. This isn’t a partisan issue for me—I’ve always supported, regardless of party, the President’s authority under Article II to protect America’s national security interests and to protect our troops.” [Twitter, @SenDanSullivan, 3/4/26]
- [VIDEO] Sullivan Defended His Vote Against The Iran War Powers Resolution. “I just came off the Senate floor where I voted against Senator Kaine's resolution that directs the president to remove U.S. forces that are engaged in conflict with Iran out of the region. This is not a partisan issue for me. I've taken a number of votes both with Republican presidents and Democrat presidents, and I have always voted to provide the president of either party authority, broad authority, under Article two of the Constitution to protect America's national security interests and importantly, protect and support our troops.” [Dan Sullivan, Social Media Video, 03/04/26]
Sullivan Voted Against A War Powers Resolution To Reign In Trump’s Iran Attacks For A Second Time. According to Reporting From Alaska, “On Wednesday, Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan joined all other Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul in opposing another Democratic measure to end Trump’s war against Iran until Congress declares war against Iran. Sullivan has not called for a vote to approve the war, but in her letter to Alaskans, Murkowski said the Congress should write and debate a measure to keep the war going. A vote would naturally follow. […] Sullivan has so far simply parroted the Republican line that Trump did not begin a war—it was started by Iran 47 years ago.” [Reporting From Alaska, 3/18/26]
Sullivan Voted Against Discharging The War Powers Resolution For A Third Time. According to the Hill, “Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who’s in a tough reelection race, split with Murkowski and voted against discharging the war powers resolution.” [Hill, 5/13/26]
¶ Gas And Fuel Prices Spiked Across Alaska Due To The Iran War, Harming Villages And Rural Communities
HEADLINE: Rising Gas Prices Squeeze Alaska Drivers And Their Budgets. According to Alaska Public Media, [Alaska Public Media, 4/16/26]
HEADLINE: Trump’s War Brings Crippling Fuel Prices To Rural Alaska [Reporting From Alaska, 4/23/26]
HEADLINE: ‘Apocalyptic’: Alaska Lawmakers Scramble As Rural Communities May Face A Winter Without Fuel [Alaska’s News Source, 4/24/26]
The Iran War Increased Alaska Freight Shipping Costs. According to Alaska Public Media, “Three of Alaska’s key shipping companies are set to hike rates as fuel prices skyrocket amid the war with Iran. Alaska Marine Lines, Matson and Tote Maritime are all increasing their fuel-related surcharges, starting this month. Alaska Marine Lines ships freight to communities in Southeast Alaska, including Haines, Skagway and Juneau. The company said late last month that its surcharge will increase from 11% to 18.5%, starting in early April. In an emailed statement, the company said the move reflects ‘continued escalation and volatility in fuel costs resulting from continued disruption to global energy markets.’” [Alaska Public Media, 4/3/26]
Rural Alaska Communities Depended On The Strait Of Hormuz To Facilitate The Supply Of Diesel. According to the Alaska Beacon, “The United States consumes roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day and imports only a small fraction through that chokepoint. But for diesel-reliant communities in Western Alaska, the story looks very different. The supply chains that vendors rely on are often tied to refineries in Asia, and those routes are deeply exposed to disruptions in and around the Strait of Hormuz. It may come as a surprise that much of the fuel consumed in rural Alaska is not from Alaska. This reflects both the state’s limited refining capacity and the constraints of global shipping routes and tanker availability.” [Alaska Beacon, 4/23/26]
HEADLINE: “A War-Driven Spike In Fuel Prices Could Produce A ‘Survival Scenario’ In Alaska Villages.” According to the Alaska Beacon, “The war in Iran is risking what could be a catastrophic spike in the price of fuel in the rural villages and hub communities across Alaska’s coast — and distributors are also warning of possible supply shortages. […] Rural communities can receive as little as a single bulk fuel delivery during a shipping season that runs only through the summer — meaning that rates can be locked in at that price for the whole next year, even if global commodity prices fall. Government and Native corporation subsidies can help offset costs, but prices are still high and about to get higher.’ We’re looking at, maybe, a survival scenario for rural Alaska,’ Mathiasson said in a phone interview Monday. ‘At those prices, I would imagine that people are going to try to move into Anchorage. I don’t know if you can heat your house at over $20 a gallon.’” [Alaska Beacon, 4/15/26]