Trump says preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons matters more than US economic pain

Donald Trump said Tuesday that Americans’ financial struggles are not influencing his approach to negotiations over the Iran war, insisting his sole focus is preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Asked whether economic concerns facing US households were motivating him to secure a deal, Trump responded: “Not even a little bit.”

“The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said before departing the White House for a trip to China. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”

The remarks are likely to fuel criticism from opponents who argue the administration should weigh the economic fallout of the conflict, especially as rising living costs remain a major issue ahead of November’s midterm elections.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung later defended the president’s comments, saying Trump’s “ultimate responsibility is the safety and security of Americans.”

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if action wasn’t taken, they’d have one, which threatens all Americans,” Cheung said.

Trump is facing growing pressure from fellow Republicans concerned that the economic impact of the conflict — particularly rising fuel prices and inflation — could trigger voter backlash and threaten the party’s control of Congress.

US consumer inflation in April recorded its largest increase in three years, according to data released Tuesday, as higher energy costs linked to the Iran conflict pushed up gasoline prices.

Trump has framed the issue as one of national and global security, arguing that preventing nuclear proliferation outweighs short-term economic pain.

However, US intelligence assessments indicate Iran’s estimated timeline for developing a nuclear weapon remains broadly unchanged since last summer, when analysts concluded that a US-Israeli attack had extended the timeframe to between nine months and a year, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful purposes, though Western governments suspect Tehran is seeking the capability to build a bomb.