Ahmad Austin Jr.May 12th, 2026, 5:00 pm

President Donald Trump on Tuesday stated that the financial consequences of the war in Iran were not factors in his urgency to get a peace deal done.

At the time of writing, the U.S. and Iran had yet to reach a formal agreement to end the war that began in late February; and although they agreed to a ceasefire weeks earlier, the sides continued launching minor attacks against one another.

In the meantime, Americans have been paying the price back home. Largely due to Iranian forces restricting passage through the Strait of Hormuz — as well as energy infrastructure being targeted across the region in the early days of the war — energy prices have soared globally. As of May 12, AAA reported that the national average for gas prices was approximately $4.50. A year ago, the average was $3.14.

Moments before boarding Marine One on Tuesday afternoon, Trump spoke to the press. When one reporter asked how much the “financial situations” of Americans were “motivating” him to get a deal done with Iran, Trump insisted it wasn’t a factor at all, saying:

Not even a little bit. 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 all. That’s the only thing that motivates me.

That financial situation, however, has been a significant factor in the president’s tanking approval ratings. A recent CNN poll revealed that 77% of Americans blamed Trump for rising costs.

Watch above via CNN

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