Gas Hits $4.20 as Trump Claims Iran War Goals Met

The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline reached $4.20 on October 30, according to AAA data.

President Donald Trump stated that the primary objective of the U.S. war against Iran, which started on February 28, has been achieved. The administration launched the conflict to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. During a recent campaign rally, Trump argued that military strikes had removed that capability. "We obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer, Operation Epic Fury," he said. "We defeated them militarily, financially and otherwise. And now we are ensuring just one thing: we have to make sure that they never, ever have a nuclear weapon, and we will do that very easily."

The president has repeated this assessment on multiple occasions. When White House correspondent Jon Decker asked on October 10 why the war had not been formally ended, Trump responded that a lasting guarantee was necessary. "Because I have to keep it that way," Trump said. "I don’t want to do it in two years. We have to have a guarantee that they won’t do it in the future. It’s actually a very good question."

Fuel costs have climbed 40 percent since the conflict began. Diesel prices, which affect truckers and farmers, average more than $6 per gallon. The White House attributes the high prices to ongoing threats from Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

Polls indicate that high food and energy costs are the top concern for likely voters in key Senate races. Trump has told reporters that prices will drop once the war concludes. The fighting continues as the conflict enters its ninth month, with no immediate indication of an end.

The war has entered its ninth month of active hostilities.