S President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his comments suggesting Iran could “take out” California cities had been misinterpreted, arguing that he was referring to the temporary increase in petrol prices caused by the conflict with Iran.
Trump made the original remarks during a political rally in Nebraska on Monday, while discussing the economic costs Americans were facing because of the war. He described higher fuel prices as a small sacrifice in exchange for preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“Remember, with the war, it’s just artificial, it’s a little bit high, it’s a small price to pay,” Trump said at the rally.
He then referred to the possibility of Iranian attacks on major US cities, saying: “They could take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles; let ’em take out San Diego. This is a minor cost, and it will be resolved shortly.”
The comments prompted questions about what Trump meant by suggesting Iran could attack Los Angeles and San Diego, two of California’s largest cities.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said his remarks had been taken out of context. He explained that he was talking about the financial impact of the conflict, rather than making a prediction about an attack on California.
“What I was talking about was that a temporary increase in the price of gasoline is a small price to pay for Iran not having a nuclear weapon,” Trump wrote.
He added that the consequences of an actual attack would be far more serious than higher fuel costs.
“If you want to see a big price, can you imagine what it would be like if they bombed San Diego and/or Los Angeles?” Trump said, adding that he loved both cities.
The dispute comes as the conflict with Iran continues to affect energy markets and fuel prices, creating concerns among American consumers about the cost of living.
Higher oil prices can feed through to petrol prices, increasing transport expenses for households and operating costs for businesses. The impact can also contribute to wider inflationary pressures if higher energy costs are passed on to consumers.
Trump has previously played down concerns about the cost-of-living effects of the conflict, arguing that the economic burden should be viewed against the wider security objective of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
His latest explanation sought to draw a distinction between the temporary financial consequences of the war and the potential damage of an attack on US territory.
The president said the rise in petrol prices would be temporary and that the situation would be resolved shortly, although he did not provide further details in his post about when fuel costs might fall or how the conflict would end.
