Gas prices could remain elevated for the remainder of 2026, Wright admitted on CNN\u2019s State of the Union.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat might not happen until next year,\u201d Wright said, when asked by Jake Tapper when the average price of gas would drop back below $3 per gallon. \u201cI don\u2019t know. That could happen later this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut prices have likely peaked and they will start going down,\u201d he continued. \u201cCertainly, with a resolution of this conflict, you will see prices go down. Prices across the board on energy prices will go down.\u201d <\/p>\n
Wright went on to say that he expected the president to strike a deal to end the war in Iran soon, but wouldn\u2019t provide an exact timeframe.<\/p>\n
![\"Energy](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/wright_cnn_426.jpg\")
Energy Secretary Chris Wright predicted a swift end to the Iran war on Sunday, but said gas prices could take longer to come down (CNN – State of the Union)<\/p>\n
The U.S. and Iran are approaching a Tuesday deadline when a two-week ceasefire will end. Brokered earlier this month, that ceasefire has maintained a fragile existence as negotiators met for an initial round of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, last weekend, which failed to result in a peace agreement. U.S. and Iranian negotiators are bound for Pakistand for a second round of talks Monday.<\/p>\n
Vice President JD Vance is supposedly leading the second round of talks, as he did the first, though some confusion spread throughout the administration on Sunday after Trump himself said that a \u201csecurity\u201d situation prohibited Vance\u2019s attendance. Separately, the president announced that U.S. Marines had seized and boarded an Iranian-flagged vessel after firing upon it and disabling it for attempting to run the blockade.<\/p>\n
![\"Vice](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2271439105.jpg\")
Vice President JD Vance is due to lead the U.S. delegation in talks with Iran on Monday (Getty)<\/p>\n
Control of the Strait of Hormuz remains a major factor for both sides as peace talks resume in Islamabad. Iran\u2019s ability to effectively close the strait by deploying mines and small vessels has choked a major transit point for global oil traffic, causing a major spike in U.S. gas prices that have now passed a $4 per gallon average nationwide. A NBC poll published on Sunday<\/a> found that a wide majority of Americans say gas prices are eating into their financial livelihoods as they grow more pessimistic about Trump\u2019s handling of the economy. On Sunday, the national gas price average was $4.048, according to AAA.<\/p>\n Gas prices remain elevated but have dropped slightly over the past week. The average price for a gallon of low-grade gas in January 2025 when Trump took office was $3.08 a gallon, according<\/a> to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.<\/p>\n Trump officials, including White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, have insisted that the president\u2019s decision to launch a war with Iran will only cause a temporary spike in prices, and the war\u2019s more ardent defenders have argued that Americans are willing to make an economic sacrifice to see Iran\u2019s government toppled by the U.S. and Israeli militaries. The White House has also pointed out that gas prices reached a high of $4 per gallon as recently as 2022, during the Biden administration, as a result of a post-Covid demand surge.<\/p>\n However, some Republicans are now worried that persistently high gas prices could be an anchor around the necks ahead of the midterm elections. The GOP is trying to hold on to majorities in both chambers of Congress, as polls show Democrats with the edge on a generic ballot. Gas prices and affordability remain issues of high concern for voters, who consistently rank the economy as the most important issue when they go to the polls.<\/p>\n![\"Average](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2270119940.jpg\")
Average gas prices across the U.S. have dipped slightly from recent highs, but remain above $4 a gallon in most states. (Getty)<\/p>\n