Gas prices across the country hit a staggering average of $4.451 per gallon this Sunday, according to data from Gasbuddy.com. The surge follows the February 28 launch of Operation Epic Fury, a military campaign that has sent energy costs skyrocketing and left the administration scrambling to answer for a tightening domestic squeeze.
During an appearance on “This Week,” Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy faced heavy questioning from host Martha Raddatz regarding the administration’s previous assurances that high prices would be short-lived. Duffy, however, steered clear of energy policy specifics.
“I’m at DOT. I’m not in the energy sector,” Duffy told Raddatz. “But from all the briefings that I’ve had, once the Strait opens, you’ll see prices … come down immediately. And again, there’s going to be a tail to that. It’s going to take time to get back to where we were before this conflict began, but you’re going to see, I think, immediate relief once the Strait opens.”
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The “Strait” in question is the Strait of Hormuz, currently the center of a high-stakes standoff. President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of the region on April 12. This move came after the Iranian government announced on April 9 that it would only allow 12 ships per day to pass, provided they paid a $1-per-barrel toll in Chinese yuan or cryptocurrency. Iran also claimed to have mined the waters.
While the administration maintains the blockade is a matter of national security, diplomatic progress appears stalled. President Trump recently noted that Iran was “asking for things that I can’t agree to.” When asked about these negotiations, Duffy remained vague.
“The president has done very well in his career as a builder and as a president. And he doesn’t talk publicly about what those negotiations are,” Duffy said. He added that while the U.S. seeks a “great deal,” the administration views an Iranian nuclear weapon as “untenable” and insists the Strait must be reopened.
The origins of the conflict remain a point of intense debate. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the initial U.S. strikes, arguing they were necessary to prevent American casualties from a projected Iranian response to Israeli military plans.
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However, internal dissent has bubbled over; former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent resigned in March, alleging the war was initiated “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Further reporting from The New York Times suggests the decision-making process was narrow.
Despite reported skepticism from Vice President J.D. Vance and other top officials, the paper stated that a February 11 White House visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the turning point that convinced the president to move forward with the strikes. For now, American drivers are left footing the bill at the pump while the blockade remains in a deadlock.
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