Trump's Iran War Fuels Petrol Price Backlash as Voter Frustration Mounts
Growing discontent over fuel prices is emerging as a significant political liability for Donald Trump, with fresh polling indicating that close to half of Americans directly attribute the recent surge at petrol stations to the president and his administration's decision to launch military operations against Iran.
A poll conducted this week by Morning Consult found that 80 per cent of US voters have observed a notable increase in petrol prices over recent weeks. Of those, 48 per cent place the blame squarely on Trump and his administration. By comparison, just 16 per cent held oil and gas companies responsible, 13 per cent pointed to market dynamics and the OPEC producer group, and 11 per cent cited the legacy of policies enacted under former president Joe Biden.
Petrol prices in the United States reached $3.60 per gallon on Thursday, according to motoring organisation AAA. The figure represents a rise of more than 20 per cent since the president ordered military action against Iran, and marks the highest level recorded across either of Trump's two terms in office.
Prices at the pump have climbed for 12 consecutive days, and analysts do not anticipate the trend reversing while crude oil markets remain unsettled. The primary driver is Iran's near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage through which approximately a fifth of the world's oil supply flows. So long as that chokepoint remains disrupted, upward pressure on crude is expected to persist.
West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark US crude price, has risen by more than a third since the United States and Israel first struck Tehran late last month. The contract settled at $87.25 per barrel on Wednesday, a single-day gain of 4.6 per cent.
The visibility of petrol prices, displayed prominently along roadsides and motorway forecourts across the country, makes them a particularly potent economic signal for ordinary voters. "Americans fill up 50 times a year. That is 50 chances to regret their last vote," said Kevin Book, head of research at ClearView Energy Partners.
The Morning Consult poll also found that 47 per cent of Americans oppose the military campaign in Iran. Among that group, 63 per cent expressed concern about rising petrol costs.
Efforts by the administration to contain the price surge have so far yielded limited results. Proposals to provide insurance cover for oil tankers navigating the strait, or to deploy US Navy vessels as escorts, have not calmed markets. An international agreement announced on Wednesday to release record volumes of strategically held oil reserves, combined with comments from Trump suggesting a modest drawdown of American stockpiles, has similarly failed to arrest the rise.
