Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday that keeping oil and gasoline prices low is now the United States’ “goal No. 1” in the Iran war, ranking prevention of Iran’s nuclear weapons program as a secondary priority. Speaking on Fox News, Vance stated, “That’s goal No. 1 — keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country,” before adding that “obviously goal No. 2 is ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
The statement marked a public shift in how the Trump administration articulates its strategy in the conflict. The U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering a war that has centered increasingly on control of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which roughly 20% of the world’s energy supplies traveled before the conflict.
The blockade of Iranian ports has disrupted global energy supplies. Brent Crude oil sits just above $87 per barrel—45% higher than January levels—and the average U.S. gasoline price has climbed to over $4 per gallon, up more than a dollar since the war began, according to NBC News reporting.
However, President Trump contradicted Vance just three days later. On Monday, August 17, Trump posted on social media that the “number one Goal is, and always will be” that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, appearing to reject Vance’s ordering of priorities. Trump had previously stated in May that the economy played no role in his Iran decisions, saying, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I think about one thing. We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, that’s all.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to reconcile the positions, telling reporters that “both goals are equally as important to the president” and that the administration had “done so much to keep the markets stable” while pursuing the nuclear objective. Yet the public disagreement underscored tension within the administration over whether economic relief for Americans or nuclear containment should guide strategy.
The Trump administration has signaled plans to intensify pressure on Iran through economic means. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant told Newsmax on Thursday that the U.S. would “apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,” though he did not specify what those measures would entail. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. could maintain its naval blockade on Iran “indefinitely” by rotating ships in and out of the region.
Trump has rejected criticism over rising gas prices, telling a crowd at a New York law enforcement event on Friday that he would not apologize for the cost. “When you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at $4. It’s OK. I’m not going to apologize. I did the right thing,” he said, framing the conflict as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Sources
- NBC News — Vance’s statement that keeping gas prices low is “goal No. 1” in the Iran war, details on naval blockade strategy, oil and gas price levels, and Trump’s earlier May statement on not considering American financial situation
- ABC News — Trump’s social media post contradicting Vance on nuclear priority, Vance’s Fox News remarks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s statement, Trump’s remarks at the New York police academy, and current gas price data
- Times of Israel — Vance’s statement ranking nuclear prevention as “number two” goal and oil prices as first priority
- France24 — Confirmation of Vance’s Thursday statement on Fox News about oil and gas price priority
