Trump blames Democratic states and Ukraine for rising US fuel prices, not Iran conflict

US President Donald Trump has pushed back against the idea that military tensions with Iran are behind rising fuel prices in the United States, instead pointing to other causes.

Trump singled out Democratic-led states, including California, as contributing to higher fuel costs. He also placed blame on Ukraine, which has recently intensified its strikes on Russian oil refineries.

These Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure are widely seen as part of Kyiv's strategy to undermine Moscow's ability to finance its war effort, though they may also be having knock-on effects on global fuel markets and prices.

By framing the issue this way, Trump has shifted attention away from any potential link between tensions with Iran and fluctuating fuel prices in the US domestic market, instead highlighting what he considers more significant factors — policies in Democratic-governed states and developments in the war in Ukraine.

Fuel prices remain a politically sensitive topic in the United States, directly affecting household budgets and frequently surfacing as a point of contention between the country's two major political parties.