Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
Keeping gasoline prices down has become the Trump administration’s top stated objective in the war with Iran, Vice President JD Vance said this week, as the conflict increasingly centers on the Strait of Hormuz and Washington prepares for a potentially prolonged economic confrontation with Tehran.
Vance’s comments mark another shift in how the administration has publicly justified the conflict, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Vance said the first priority was keeping oil and gas prices affordable for Americans. He ranked preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as the administration’s second goal.
“I know that oil is down today and it’s way down from the highs in the early days of the conflict,” Vance said. “That’s goal No. 1 — keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country.”
The comments came as the Trump administration threatened to maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and signaled that it could dramatically expand economic pressure on Tehran.
Gas prices rise as Hormuz remains effectively closed
Oil and gasoline prices surged worldwide after the United States and Israel began attacking Iran.
Prices later eased from their initial highs but remain substantially above prewar levels and rose again following the latest escalation in rhetoric.
Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, was trading above $87 a barrel, about 45% higher than in January. The national average price of gasoline in the United States has also climbed above $4 a gallon, compared with less than $3 before the conflict.
Much of the uncertainty centers on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20% of the world’s energy supplies moved before the war.
Trump said Wednesday that the United States had “total control” of the strait and described the American blockade of Iranian ports as a “wall of steel.”
But commercial traffic remains drastically reduced.
Before the conflict, roughly 130 to 140 vessels typically traveled through the strait during peacetime. Current traffic is only a fraction of that amount, while Iran continues to threaten or attack ships attempting to pass.
Two tankers affiliated with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. were attacked Thursday while attempting to cross the waterway, according to the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center. The vessels sustained minor damage, and no injuries were reported. UKMTO said aerial drones were involved.
Iran has said the strait will not fully reopen until its demands are met.
Iran says ships need its approval to pass
Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Thursday that no vessel could safely transit the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian authorization and supervision, according to Iran’s state-controlled IRIB.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of making a miscalculation over the waterway and suffering intelligence failures.
The dispute creates a dangerous economic standoff. Washington wants to keep pressure on Tehran while preventing a sustained energy shock at home and abroad. Iran, meanwhile, has a powerful geographic lever in the strait, where even limited disruptions can affect global energy markets.
The consequences extend beyond gasoline.
The prolonged disruption has also affected shipments of fertilizer and other goods, increasing concerns about additional inflationary pressure on the global economy.
Pentagon prepares for a prolonged blockade
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the United States could maintain its naval blockade indefinitely.
“We’ll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we’ll continue to,” Hegseth said.
The comments came as the USS George Washington moved toward the Middle East and prepared to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for roughly 250 days without a port call for more than 200 days.
Families of some of the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the Lincoln have described deteriorating conditions and low morale.
The prolonged deployment underscores the growing strain on U.S. forces as the administration shifts toward a strategy designed to pressure Iran economically rather than rely exclusively on additional military strikes.
Trump shifts toward economic pressure
Trump has increasingly signaled that he wants to “low-key” the conflict and rely more heavily on economic pressure.
The shift follows weeks of military exchanges that have failed to produce a clear resolution while placing additional demands on U.S. forces and depleting some American missile-interceptor reserves.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated Thursday that more economic measures could be announced soon.
“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week,” Bessent told Newsmax. “We are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country.”
He did not provide details about the potential measures.
The administration’s changing explanations for the war have also drawn scrutiny.
Trump and his allies initially emphasized support for anti-government protests inside Iran. The administration later placed greater emphasis on Iran’s nuclear program and, at times, discussed the possibility of regime change.
Vance’s description of gasoline prices as the administration’s top goal adds another rationale: protecting American consumers from the economic consequences of a war that is itself driving up energy costs.
The political cost is rising
The economic stakes are particularly significant as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
Higher gasoline prices are among the most visible ways a foreign conflict can affect American households. Unlike many government policies, changes at the pump are felt immediately by commuters, truckers, businesses and families.
That creates a political challenge for Trump.
The administration is attempting to use economic pressure to force Iran into concessions while simultaneously trying to prevent the conflict from pushing fuel prices even higher.
So far, the strategy has produced no clear diplomatic breakthrough.
Iran continues to demand concessions before reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington has threatened to maintain its blockade and escalate economic pressure.
The result is a conflict increasingly defined by a contradiction: The administration says its top priority is keeping energy affordable for Americans, but the war and the battle over Hormuz are helping keep energy prices elevated.
