Trump Says Rising Gas Prices Not a Factor in Iran Negotiations

President Trump said he is not motivated by Americans’ financial situations when deciding how to proceed with Iran, emphasizing that preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon is his only priority. “Not even a little bit,” Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn on Tuesday when asked to what extent Americans’ financial situations were 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,” he said, according to multiple outlets that covered the exchange.

The remarks came as Trump prepared to depart Washington aboard Air Force One for Beijing, where he is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. He is traveling with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

A ceasefire initiated in April has held despite recent exchanges of fire in the Strait of Hormuz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday. Hegseth said the Pentagon maintains contingency plans both to escalate operations against Iran if needed and to draw down forces if peace takes hold.

“We have a plan to escalate, if necessary; we have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets,” Hegseth said.

Iran delivered a counteroffer to the U.S. on Monday via Pakistani mediators. Trump described the counteroffer as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE” in a Truth Social post. Trump later told reporters, “We’re either going to make a deal or they’re going to be decimated.

” The war began Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran, resulting in the death of the country’s former supreme leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei. The new Iranian regime has resisted negotiations to end the conflict. Iran retains residual capabilities in the strait, according to a retired U.S. vice admiral.

The national average price of gasoline reached $4.50 per gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA. States including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon and Washington have seen prices exceed that average. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said Colorado prices were already exceeding $4.50 directly due to the Middle East situation.

He projected that if the strait does not reopen soon, the national average could reach $5 per gallon as early as June. Trump has expressed support for suspending the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents on diesel to ease the burden on drivers, though that would require congressional approval.

Some lawmakers have indicated they are prepared to act on the proposal.

Pakistani officials have continued shuttling messages between Washington and Tehran, having facilitated one round of direct talks in Islamabad in April that lasted nearly 11 hours without producing an agreement. China has also engaged in the process, with its foreign minister discussing a durable ceasefire and normal passage through the strait with his Pakistani counterpart.

China purchases at least 90% of Iran’s oil exports. The Supreme Court separately extended its temporary stay on restrictions to the abortion drug mifepristone, keeping the pill available by mail and at pharmacies at least through the end of Thursday while it considers the matter further.

Trump’s trip to Beijing marks the first visit by a U.S. president to China in nearly a decade. Diplomacy surrounding the Iran conflict is expected to feature prominently in his discussions with Xi.