President Trump said on Tuesday that the financial situation for Americans was not a factor in his decision-making when it came to Iran, comments that come as Americans continue to face rising gas prices as a result of the war the US and Israel started.
“Not even a little bit,” the president told reporters before departing for China when asked to what extent the financial situation for Americans was motivating him to make a deal with Iran.
“The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon … that’s the only thing that motivates me,” he added.
While Trump has continued to frame the conflict about preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, there was no evidence either before the June 2025 war or the current one that Tehran was pursuing nuclear weapons.
The average price of gas in the US is now at $4.50 per gallon, a 51% increase since the US and Israel launched the war with major strikes on Iran on February 28. There’s no sign that the trend will reverse as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, and all signs indicate the US and Israel may restart the full-scale bombing campaign, which will likely result in Iranian attacks on more oil infrastructure in the region.
