Ken Paxton praised the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, the day Operation Epic Fury began, and on March 3 said Trump "did the right thing." As of the Pentagon's October 15, 2026 casualty report, 21 U.S. service members had died and 865 had been injured, among them Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas.
In Texas, regular gasoline rose by more than half between the day before the war and mid-September 2026, and in October Paxton told donors that his own campaign's troubles came from "the war, it's the gas prices, it's diesel."
Ken Paxton's Statements Backing the War With Iran
- Paxton Praised the Strikes That Began the Iran War; 21 U.S. Service Members Have Since Died. On February 28, 2026, the day the strikes began, Ken Paxton posted: "Thank you President Trump for your courageous leadership. For years, Iran has terrorized the world and threatened our nation's existence". Later that day he posted that "Operation Epic Fury is yet another overwhelming and historic military success." The Pentagon's casualty report of October 15, 2026 counted 21 U.S. service members dead and 865 injured; Task & Purpose reported that of the 865 wounded, the majority were hurt since July 7, after fighting in the war restarted. The Pentagon's estimate of the war's cost reached $43.6 billion in September 2026.
- Paxton Said Trump "Did the Right Thing" With a War That Raised Fuel and Fertilizer Prices. On March 3, 2026, Ken Paxton said Trump "did the right thing" with Operation Epic Fury, FOX 24 reported. Moody's economist Mark Zandi estimates the war has cost the average U.S. household about $2,000 so far, including $1,100 in higher energy prices, $540 in higher interest rates, and on October 16, 2026 the national average stood at $4.33 a gallon for gasoline, or 45% above its prewar level.
- Paxton Said Americans Had "Never Been Safer" as the War Began; U.S. Troops Remain in the Region Into 2027. In his February 28, 2026 post Ken Paxton wrote that Iran's regime "has been decimated" and "Under his leadership, we have never been safer." Eight months later, the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, reported on October 23, 2026 that Iran continues to strike ships in the Strait of Hormuz and that around 50,000 U.S. troops are in the region, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has estimated they will remain until at least early 2027.
What the Iran War Ken Paxton Praised Has Cost Texas
- Gasoline. Regular gasoline in Texas rose from $2.60 a gallon on February 27, 2026, the day before the war, to $3.94 on September 17, 2026, an increase of 51.4%, according to AAA prices compiled by the Center for American Progress.
- Diesel. The average price for a gallon of diesel in Texas is $5.72, according to AAA data reported in October 2026.
- Farm costs. Central Texas farmers told KWTX that fertilizer reached $485 per ton by March 2026, after selling for around $300 per ton last year.
- A Texas soldier killed. Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, is among the U.S. service members killed in the war, the Pentagon's casualty list shows.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ken Paxton on Iran war
What is Ken Paxton's record on the Iran war under Trump?
Ken Paxton praised the February 28, 2026 strikes that started the war with Iran and said Trump "did the right thing." The war has since killed U.S. service members, including a soldier from Carrollton, Texas, and pushed up gasoline, diesel and fertilizer prices across Texas. Paxton also claimed at the start that Americans had never been safer, while U.S. troops are expected to stay in the region into 2027.
Does Ken Paxton support the war with Iran?
Yes. Ken Paxton posted his thanks to Trump on the day the strikes began and called Operation Epic Fury a "historic military success." Most Americans disagreed with how the war was handled: in March 2026, Pew found that about six-in-ten Americans (61%) disapprove of Trump's handling of the conflict.
Did Ken Paxton blame the Iran war for his Senate campaign's problems?
Yes. Ken Paxton told donors and lobbyists at a closed-door event, in audio published in October 2026, "It's the war, it's the gas prices, it's diesel," and "When it's over $6 a gallon for diesel ... people are feeling the pinch." Across the country, Americans have paid more than $141 billion in extra costs for gas and diesel since the war began, the Center for American Progress reported, citing a Brown University tracker.
Last updated: 2026-10-25