Trump Calls on Americans to Endure High Fuel Prices as War on Iran Drags on
President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D.
US President Donald Trump defended the economic cost of the continuing war with Iran during a campaign appearance in Oklahoma, telling Americans that higher fuel prices were a “small price” compared with what he described as the danger of Tehran obtaining a nuclear weapon.“You’re paying a price. But, boy, is that a small price than what it would be if these lunatics were allowed to have a nuclear weapon and used it on Mobile, Alabama?” Trump said while campaigning for Republican candidates.Trump argued that the additional burden on American consumers was justified by his war of aggression against Iran.Fuel prices rose sharply after the US-Israeli attack on Iran disrupted energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil and gas shipping routes. Major energy companies and traders suspended shipments through the waterway after the fighting began, while traffic fell sharply from pre-war levels.US diesel averaged $3.81 a gallon on February 23, according to the US Energy Information Administration. By late September, the national average had climbed above $6 a gallon.Although oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have partially recovered in recent weeks, flows remain below levels recorded before the conflict began.
