Donald Trump has said he is not focused on the financial hardship faced by Americans as a result of the ongoing conflict with Iran, despite inflation reaching a three-year high. The US president stated that his sole concern is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said: “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran [is] 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 all.”
The remarks come as US inflation hit 3.8% in April, driven largely by rising energy costs since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February. Petrol now averages over $4.50 a gallon, the highest in four years, while food prices have risen nearly 4% and airfares have increased by more than 20%.
Trump’s top officials have offered conflicting forecasts on when economic pressures might ease. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in March that fuel prices could return to pre-war levels by summer, but later admitted he “can’t make predictions”. Economic adviser Kevin Hassett claimed relief would come “relatively quickly and certainly ahead of the election”, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Americans should consider themselves fortunate compared to other nations.
The economic strain has been felt globally, with inflation accelerating in Australia, Canada, and South Korea, and British households warned of a fresh cost-of-living crisis. Trump, however, insisted his economic policies were working “incredibly” and predicted a “golden age” once the war ends, with oil prices dropping and the stock market surging.
