Donald Trump has said preventing Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon is “the only thing that matters” as the US midterm election campaign season looks to be defined by mounting economic concerns sparked by the conflict.
“I think about one thing: we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all,” the US president told reporters at the White House before boarding a plane to China.
Trump made the remarks in the hours after official figures revealed that US prices had risen 3.8% in the year to April – their fastest pace since 2023 – driven largely by energy costs that have surged since the US and Israel first attacked Iran in late February.
Gasoline now averages over $4.50 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), which makes it the highest price in four years. Food prices are also up nearly 4%, electricity and utility bills have climbed, and airlines have raised fares by more than 20%.
Trump’s top officials have spent months struggling to explain when, or whether, such pressures will fade.
‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,’ says Trump amid Iran talks
Trump has said the growing financial pressure inflicted on Americans by the war on Iran is “not even a little bit” motivating him to make a peace deal with Tehran. With US inflation at a three-year high and fuel costs still climbing after a sharp rise in oil prices, the US president said on Tuesday that he is not focused on the economic hardship sparked by the conflict.
“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody,” he said.
Senate again fails to curb Trump’s war on Iran
The US Senate on Wednesday rejected the seventh attempt by Democrats to force an end to American involvement in the war on Iran, even as the ranks of Republicans opposed to Trump’s strategy grew.
The war powers resolution proposed by Jeff Merkley, a Democratic senator of Oregon, failed in a 49-50 vote. All Democrats, with the exception of John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, supported its advancement.
Kevin Warsh confirmed as new US central bank chief
The senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as chair of the Federal Reserve, one of the most powerful roles in the federal government that holds enormous sway over the economy.
The 54-45 senate vote on Wednesday was split along party lines, with the exception of Democratic senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, who joined the Republican majority. Warsh was confirmed for a four-year term as chair and a 14-year appointment on the Fed’s rate-setting board.
Activists welcome move to close Alligator Alcatraz
An alliance of environmental groups and immigration advocates has welcomed what looks to be the imminent closure of Alligator Alcatraz, the notorious immigration jail in the remote Florida Everglades celebrated by Trump for its harsh conditions.
Republican redistricting effort is ‘evil incarnate’, Stacey Abrams tells new Guardian podcast
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has slammed Republican-led states’ efforts to redraw their congressional maps to favor their party as “evil incarnate”.
In an interview with the Guardian’s new podcast, Stateside with Kai and Carter, Abrams argued that what she said amounted to intentional “cheating” to suppress racial minority voting power must be fought in the courts and on the ballot.
Watch the full podcast episode
What else happened today:
JD Vance has threatened to “turn off” federal funding for government health insurance programs in states that refuse to comply with the Trump administration’s crackdown on suspected fraud.
More than 30 members of Congress have urged Donald Trump’s top officials to end the use of the Guantánamo Bay naval base for immigrant detention and rule out any plans for military action on Cuba.
An 85-year-old woman who was detained at an ICE immigration center has told of horrific conditions at the Louisiana facility, which began at night, saying: “The guards could not speak without yelling.”
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 12 May 2026.
