President Donald Trump on Monday asserted that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is the administration's "number one Goal," directly contradicting recent statements made by Vice President JD Vance.
Last week, Vance told Fox News that the administration's "goal No. 1" amid the ongoing conflict with Iran was to "keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country." He listed ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon as "goal No. 2."
Vance's comments marked a divergence from the president's long-standing position that the elimination of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs is the primary mission.
In August 2026, Trump previously stated that domestic economic concerns for Americans would not factor into military decisions regarding Iran. "The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump said at the time. "I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing. We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, that's all."
When asked about Vance's remarks aboard Air Force One on Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that "both goals are equally as important to the president." She added, "Of course, we want to keep gas prices low. That's why the administration has done so much to keep the markets stable, but also ensuring Iran can never get a nuclear weapon is the president's priority with respect to the ongoing conflict, and it's something he's going to see through one way or another."
Trump's social media post on Monday morning came shortly after an on-air discussion on "Fox and Friends" where host Lawrence Jones sought "more clarity" from the White House on U.S. objectives. "It also looks like we got an answer from the president about what is priority No. 1 for the United States," Jones remarked later in the broadcast after relaying Trump's message.
The price of gasoline has been a point of public discussion, with the average price of a gallon of regular reaching $4.02 according to GasBuddy, an increase of 7 cents from the previous week and over a dollar per gallon since the conflict began. Speaking at the New York police academy last Friday, Trump addressed the rising gas prices, stating, "I will never apologize." He added, "[Iran's] the No. 1 state sponsor of terror in the world. We don't want to have them have nuclear weapons. So remember that when you have to pay a little bit more, you're at $4. It's OK. I mean, it's, I'm not -- I'm not -- I will never apologize. I did the right thing."