by WorldTribune Staff, May 17, 2026 Non-AI Real World News
As gas prices continue to skyrocket amid Iran’s ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump reiterated that he believes the short-term pain of eliminating Iran’s nuclear threat is well worth it.
The president had initially told Daily Caller White House Correspondent Reagan Reese that the financial pain Americans are enduring as a result of the war is “not even a little bit” of a consideration when seeking to deny Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,
Trump defended the remarks during a Friday interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier.
“You can imagine how many people stop the sound bite at, ‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,’ so what’s your response to that framework?” Baier asked.
Trump responded: “That’s right, that’s a perfect statement. I would make it again.”
“It’s very simple: when people hear me say it, everybody agrees,” Trump continued. “Short-term pain. It’s gonna be short-term pain.”
Gas prices have shot up roughly 50% since the start of the war with Iran, with the national average hovering at over $4.50 per gallon.
Iran can effectively block or severely throttle the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow 21-mile-wide waterway through which approximately a third of the world’s daily petroleum passes.
Iran enforces its own restrictions and “tolls” on vessels entering or leaving the Persian Gulf. It utilizes sea mines, fast-attack boats, drones, and anti-ship missiles.
Trump on Sunday warned the Iranian regime to “get moving” or face new consequences.
“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
Meanwhile, Israel’s army has struck approximately 100 Hizbullah targets in Lebanon since Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
Israel said the strikes were in response to the Iranian-backed terror group launching “hostile aircraft, mortar shells, and explosive drones” near IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon. In response, Israel said it struck “observation posts, terror infrastructure, and a weapons storage facility” on Saturday.
The IDF also struck targets in Tyre, in southern Lebanon, on Friday, it said.
Hizbullah has released video of attacks on Israeli soldiers and army vehicles routinely throughout the last few weeks.
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