Trump Relaxed About Fuel Prices Rising as Iran Conflict Continues: 'If They Rise, They Rise'

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said he was not worried about rising fuel prices in the United States sparked by the conflict with Iran. In an interview with Reuters, Trump stressed that increases in petrol prices are not something to fear.

“I am not worried about that,” he said on Friday (6 March 2026). “Prices will come down very quickly when this is all over. And if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than a small rise in petrol prices,” Trump said.

The conflict with Iran has pushed US petrol prices up by around 20 cents per gallon, or about 7%, in just a few days. If converted to rupiah, that is around IDR 3,360 per gallon, or around IDR 880–900 per litre for the energy price increase.

Despite higher energy prices, Trump said his administration does not plan to use the Emergency Oil Reserve, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The largest oil reserve in the world is stored in underground salt caverns in Louisiana and Texas.

Trump also expressed his belief that the world’s critical oil trade route, the Strait of Hormuz, would remain open. The Strait, located off the southern coast of Iran, is a route for around 20% of global oil supplies.

He even said Iran’s naval fleet is no longer a threat. “Their navy is at the bottom of the sea,” Trump said.

The remarks came more than a week after Trump praised the fall in petrol prices in the US in his State of the Union Address. However, escalating tensions in the Middle East have now rekindled concerns in global energy markets, particularly regarding potential disruptions to world oil supplies.