Trump downplays rising petrol prices

'If they rise, they rise,' he says, predicting economic pain from war with Iran will be short-lived

- STEVE HOLLAND JARRETT RENSHAW NANDITA BOSE

A driver in a vehicle pays for petrol at a Mobil station in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on Thursday, as oil prices headed for their biggest weekly surge since 2022.

(PHOTO: BLOOMBERG)

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was not concerned about rising US petrol prices driven by the widening Iran conflict, telling Reuters in an exclusive interview that the US military operation was his priority.

"I don't have any concern about it," he said, when asked about the higher prices at the pump. "They'll drop very rapidly when this is over, and if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit."

The comments mark a shift in tone for the president, who touted a drop in petrol prices in his State of the Union address last month and at a Texas rally focused on energy that took place just hours before the US launched its air strikes last Saturday.

Political analysts say a persistent rise in petrol prices could hurt Republicans in the November midterm elections when control of the US Congress will be at stake. Voters are already unhappy about the high cost of living and Trump's stewardship of the economy.