Trump claims Iran nuclear goal met as gas hits $4.20

President Donald Trump declared on a recent campaign rally that the primary objective of the U.S. military campaign against Iran has been achieved. The war, which started on February 28, is now in its ninth month, and the president insists the threat of a nuclear weapon has been neutralized.

"We obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer, Operation Epic Fury," Trump said. "We defeated them militarily, financially and otherwise. And now we are ensuring just one thing: we have to make sure that they never, ever have a nuclear weapon, and we will do that very easily."

The conflict has driven up domestic energy costs. The average price of a gallon of regular gas is now $4.20, a 40% increase since the fighting began. Diesel, essential for trucking and farming, averages more than $6 per gallon. These spikes are linked to ongoing threats in the Strait of Hormuz.

Likely voters in key Senate races told pollsters that high food and energy prices are their top concerns. Trump has told reporters and supporters that gas prices will drop once the war ends. However, the fighting between the U.S. and Iran continues, with no immediate signs of a ceasefire.

White House correspondent Jon Decker asked the president on October 10 why he had not declared victory. "Because I have to keep it that way," Trump replied. "I don’t want to do it in two years. We have to have a guarantee that they won’t do it in the future. It’s actually a very good question."

The next phase of the campaign will see Trump return to the debate stage next week, where he is expected to address the war's endgame and the economic fallout.