Trump Presses Iran with High Gas Prices Ahead of Midterms

Trump officials insist Iran is making a critical error. Tehran seems to believe that soaring prices and the upcoming midterm elections will cripple President Donald Trump's leverage in talks to end the nearly seven-month conflict. The administration projects confidence that mounting economic pressure will force Tehran toward a deal, even after three hours of talks this week ended without an announced breakthrough.

"The president holds all of the cards here," State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital during an on-camera interview at the U.N. General Assembly. Americans are facing a mounting cost at home while Washington pushes for peace. The national average for regular gasoline hit $4.49 per gallon Friday, according to AAA. That figure is up from $3.16 a year ago. AAA stated that volatility in the Strait of Hormuz and high crude oil prices drove the national average to its highest level ever recorded for this time of year.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged those costs Wednesday while arguing that allowing Iran to eventually obtain a nuclear weapon would carry a far greater price. "It comes at a price and at a cost, there's no doubt about it," Rubio told reporters. "But the cost of not doing something about it is substantially higher, especially for future generations." Trump himself laid out the stakes in stark terms during his address to the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday. He presented Tehran with a choice between reaching a deal that would allow Iran to rebuild or facing potentially devastating further U.S. action.

"Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?" Trump said. "Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?" But Trump predicted Tehran would ultimately choose a deal. He argued that Iranian leaders are waiting to see whether the November midterm elections weaken his position. "They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election," Trump said. "What they don't realize is that I'm not running."

"I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran," Trump added. "It doesn't even enter my mind." A U.S. official told Fox News Digital Friday that discussions through mediators remained positive and constructive, but said the administration was in no hurry to reach an agreement. The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz, so we are not in a rush," the official said. They noted nearly 40 million barrels of oil had transited the strait over the previous 48 hours. The official predicted oil and gas prices would fall back to pre-conflict levels as the U.S. continues to maintain control of the strait.

Trump said U.S. officials held a very good three-hour meeting with Iranian officials Tuesday as part of a renewed diplomatic push to end the conflict. But Rubio cautioned Wednesday against characterizing the talks as a major breakthrough, saying they were largely a continuation of previous conversations. "I think it was significant that at least there was a conversation," Rubio said. Rubio also said the administration would make public any good outcomes or things to announce jointly stemming from its diplomatic engagements. No such announcement immediately followed the Iran meeting.

Iran has since put forward a proposal of its own. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran presented U.S. mediators with a seven-day plan this week that would restore passage through the Strait of Hormuz at the end of the seven days if certain conditions are met, followed by renewed negotiations toward a broader agreement. The proposal draws from the memorandum of understanding Trump and Iran reached in June.

Mediators speaking with CBS News reported that recent talks showed promise, yet the process is still in its infancy. The situation at the Strait of Hormuz remains dangerous. Commercial shipping through this narrow oil passage has suffered heavy interruptions because of the fighting, even though American officials insist oil volumes are climbing.

Trump calculates that economic pressure will crush Iran as the regime's internal rot worsens the suffering for its own people.

"The diplomatic door is always open. The president is a deal maker," Pigott said. "But he's going to see the fundamental principle that they cannot have a nuclear weapon accomplished one way or another."

Pigott used rising oil shipments and Washington's sanctions as proof that the scales tip in favor of the United States.

"We are seeing oil move [through] the Strait of Hormuz, increasing every single day," Pigott said. "We're seeing the devastating effects on the Iranian regime from economic [actions]. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being denied to the regime through this blockade that we're seeing."

Rubio backed up this view Wednesday when addressing Trump's claim that Tehran might wait for midterm results before negotiating a deal.

"I think the Iranians misread our system," Rubio said. "I think the Iranians are under this illusion that Democrats are going to win in November, and the president will no longer be able to do things against them."

Rubio acknowledged Congress matters but insisted Tehran does not grasp how far presidential power extends regarding sanctions and military force.

"The president has extraordinary powers. Every president does," Rubio said. "He's the commander in chief, both constitutional and otherwise, to be able to carry out those functions."

"So I think that the Iranians are fundamentally misreading our political system," Rubio continued.

The administration now faces threats to energy grids across the wider region too. Houthi rebels backed by Iran have struck targets in Saudi Arabia as the war spreads, creating fresh uncertainty for global markets. Rubio noted Wednesday that restarting a Saudi pipeline after attacks was "critical for their economy" and "critical for the global economy." He pointed out that Houthis plus Shiite militias in Iraq, groups the U.S. says Tehran supports, have targeted energy assets.

"Every time you guys ask me a question about the Middle East, it goes back to someone who's supported by Iran," Rubio said.

Rubio stated America would keep honoring its defense pledges to Saudi Arabia while refusing to detail other military options Trump might choose.

"They are a strategic defense partner," Rubio said. "The U.S. made commitments to them. We will live up to those commitments. We are living up to those commitments now.