As US Gasoline Passes $4, Hegseth Says Ground War Still An Option

2026-04-01 02:23:53

(MENAFN- Asia Times) WASHINGTON - The White House defended skyrocketing gas prices Tuesday as a“short-term disruption” during the ongoing war in Iran, as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the administration will not“foreclose any option” in the conflict, including boots on the ground.

Briefing publicly for the first time since March 19, Hegseth said it will be“the president’s determination alone” when the war objectives are complete and the“upcoming days will be decisive.” Hegseth also said the administration’s negotiations with Iran are“ongoing, they’re active, and, I think, gaining strength.”

Five weeks in, the war continues to rock economies across the globe and at home, where the national average for gasoline hit $4 a gallon for the first time in four years, according to data from AAA.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement saying that“When Operation Epic Fury is complete, gas prices will plummet back to the multi-year lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions.”

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President Donald Trump, she said,“remains committed to fully unleashing American energy dominance, lowering costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families.”

Shortly after the White House issued its statement, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, posted a link on X to a CNN article about soaring U.S. gas prices, writing“Sad, but this is what happens when your leaders put others ahead of hard-working and ordinary Americans.”

** Blockade drives up global prices**

Iran’s blockade on US and allied ships at the Strait of Hormuz, a major passage for petroleum and liquid natural gas, has wreaked havoc on global energy markets. As of Tuesday at 12:45 p.m. Eastern, Brent crude oil, the international standard, was trading just over $119 a barrel.

Between 2,000 and 3,000 cargo vessels and oil tankers, along with roughly 20,000 crew, remain stuck in the Persian Gulf, according to the United Nations and open source data, including MarineTraffic.

Trump claimed during a Cabinet meeting Thursday that Iran has agreed to allow eight to 10 Pakistani oil tankers through. On Sunday, the president said 20.

According to the Joint Maritime Information Center, only four large tankers transmitting location data had crossed the Hormuz Strait on Friday and Saturday.

** US troops**

Hegseth said the White House will not rule out any options, including ground operations, but declined to provide detail at the Pentagon briefing.

“You can’t fight and win a war if you tell your adversary what you are willing to do, or what you are not willing to do - to include boots on the ground. Our adversary right now thinks there are 15 different ways we could come at them with boots on the ground. And guess what? There are. So if we needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the president of the United States and this department, or maybe we don’t have to use them at all. Maybe negotiations work,” Hegseth said.

Trump told reporters Sunday on Air Force One that negotiations with Iran are happening“directly and indirectly” and are“very good.”

“We’re doing extremely well,” the president said.“But you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them, and then we always have to blow 'em up.”

Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran’s energy infrastructure, and has set a self-imposed deadline of April 6 to do so if Iran doesn’t meet his demands.

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On Monday night, the president posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, a video of a US strike on an ammunition depot in Iran’s central province of Isfahan.
Spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baqaei denied any talks with the United States, according to Iranian state media Tasmin New Agency.

Up to 3,500 US Marines and sailors arrived in the region Saturday, according to US Central Command. The US now reportedly has roughly 50,000 troops in the region - that’s 10,000 up from the usually 40,000 or so peacetime members of the armed forces stationed there.

Ghalibaf said Sunday an American ground offensive would result in“severe punishment,” according to state media.

More than 300,000 American troops were in the region during the US ground invasion of Iraq, according to historical data archived by the Council on Foreign Relations.

Originally published by States Newsroom, this article is republished under a Creative Commons license.

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