US President Donald Trump has reiterated that he isn't worried about the finances of Americans while negotiating an end to the Iran war.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the remarks about his apparent disinclination to worry about American finances being affected by the Iran war do not bother him.
Ahead of his China trip, Trump was asked a query on Tuesday on to what extent "Americans' financial situations" were motivating him to make a deal with Iran.
"Not even a little bit.The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran — they can't have a nuclear weapon. 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. That's all," Trump had remarked.
On Friday, after being shown that remark he quipped again on Fox News, "That's a perfect statement, I'd make it again."
The US president said he was "OK" with higher gas prices, if it facilitated achieving America's goals in the Iran conflict.
Data from the American Automobile Association showed that gas prices recorded a 50% rise after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. The national average of gas pries has climbed to a steep $4.50, according to AAA figures.
Trump doesn't seem to be bothered much about the spike in prices, arguing that the conflict would end soon.
"Don't forget, they have a lot of boats that are loaded up with oil that are going to bring the oil out as soon as this is over, and I think it's going to end fast," Trump said in the Friday interview.
The earlier remarks had stumped Republican aides, who scrambled to distance their campaigns from it ahead of midterm elections in September.
The Republican managers have reportedly argued that Trump's remarks were taken out of context by political opponents and media.
He also said he was not in favor of electoral calculations coming in the way of US objectives vis-a-vis Iran.
"I'm not going to let the election determine what's going to happen with respect to Iran, because they cannot have a nuclear weapon," he said.
In an interview during the China trip to Fox News, Trump admitted there will be "short-term pain" while the US holds parleys to bring an end to the Iran war.
The war has resulted in the disruption of the passage of energy vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which a fifth of the world's energy supplies were routed ahead of the conflict. The US has also effected a blockade of Strait of Hormuz and the resultant disruptions have sent oil prices soaring. Iran has said the US blockade amounts to piracy.
