Americans should brace for higher gas prices ‘for a little while,’ US President Donald Trump warned as global energy costs continue to climb amid the Iran war.
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that Americans should expect to pay higher gas prices “for a little while.”
Energy prices have risen around the world since the start of the Iran war in late February.
Trump was asked if Americans “should anticipate spending more on gasoline for the foreseeable future.”
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“For a little while,” Trump responded.
The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states with U.S. bases. U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.
A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war began over two weeks ago.
The rise in gas prices caused by the war has created a dilemma for Trump’s Republican Party, which currently holds a majority in both chambers of Congress, ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Trump has said gas prices may stay high until November but has sought to brush off concerns.
The Iran war has brought traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, close to a standstill.
