Khaberni - US President Donald Trump rejected on Monday discussions by Energy Secretary Chris Wright that gasoline prices will not fall before 2027, stating that Americans can expect a decrease as soon as the Iran war ends.
Wright told CNN on Sunday that a drop in gasoline prices to less than three dollars per gallon "might happen later this year, but it may not occur before next year."
Trump told a reporter from "The Hill," "I think he is completely wrong," adding that prices are expected to drop "as soon as this situation is over."
While Wright acknowledged in his talk to CNN that "with the resolution of this conflict, you will see a price drop," there seems to be no clear end in sight for the fuel price crisis. A fragile ceasefire is expected to end soon, and the prospects for success in another round of peace talks are unclear.
Trump and his Republican colleagues are under pressure before the mid-term elections in November after they pledged to lower prices. With just a few months left until the elections, gasoline prices in the United States remain high, inflation is rising, and Trump's popularity rates are falling.
The American Automobile Association estimates that the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.04 on Monday, up from $3.15 a year ago. Oil prices jumped 5% globally today.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz as the war entered its second month. The war began with the United States and Israel striking Iran on February 28. Trump had announced that the military campaign would last four to six weeks.
The rise in fuel prices has led to increased prices for a range of goods and services across the United States, from airline tickets and housing to fertilizers and food products.
Trump himself had earlier said that gasoline prices might remain high until November, but he sought to calm these fears. Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bisent predicted that prices would drop to the $3 per gallon range this summer.
