Trump’s gas prices, Iran war comments moved into focus on Monday after the US president rejected his top energy official’s view on when fuel costs may ease, saying Americans could see relief as soon as the conflict ends.
Trump dismissed Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s assessment that gasoline below $3 a gallon may not arrive until later this year or even next year. Trump instead said prices would come down “as soon as this ends,” linking cheaper fuel directly to an end to the Iran war.
Wright had said on CNN that gasoline under $3 a gallon could happen later this year, but might not happen until next year. Trump flatly rejected that timeline and told a reporter from The Hill that Wright was “totally wrong”.
The disagreement matters because both men tied future price declines to the eventual resolution of the conflict, but they offered very different timelines for when consumers might actually feel relief.
Gas Prices Remain High as Conflict Drags On
The average US price for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.04 on Monday, compared with $3.15 a year earlier. AAA’s national average for April 20, 2026, was about $4.04, matching the level.
It also says oil prices rose 5% globally on Monday as Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed and the war approached the two-month mark. That pressure has kept fuel costs elevated and increased worries about broader inflation.
Trump and Republicans are facing growing pressure ahead of the November midterm elections after promising to lower Americans’ costs. With gasoline prices still elevated, inflation rising and Trump’s approval ratings under strain, energy costs have become a more politically sensitive issue.
The report also notes that higher fuel prices are feeding into the cost of goods and services nationwide, including airline tickets, housing, fertiliser and groceries. That broader economic effect has made the gasoline debate more than just a question of pump prices.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted last week that gas prices would fall into the $3-per-gallon range this summer. At the same time, Trump has acknowledged that prices may remain high until November, even as he continues to play down concerns.
Read: Oil Prices Jump on Iran Tensions and Hormuz Closure
Those mixed messages show how uncertain the outlook remains while the ceasefire deadline approaches, and the chances of a successful peace push remain unclear. For now, fuel prices are still closely tied to the course of the conflict and to whether oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz normalise.
