Trump Urged to Press China on Iran Aid to Lower Gas Prices

President Donald Trump has a critical opportunity during his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to address a key factor contributing to high gas prices, according to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast.

Mast, R-Fla., stated that China's support for Iran's ongoing conflict, which disrupts global trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz, is a significant driver of the current cost of living struggles for Americans, particularly at the gas pump.

"If President Trump can secure that China will stop arming Iran, who is trying to destabilize this key oil route through the globe, then the president will have done something very important for affordability, especially in terms of global crude prices, which equal prices at the pump here in the United States of America," Mast told Fox News Digital.

Gas prices have become a focal point in the lead-up to the November midterm elections, with both parties scrutinizing the other's policies. The national average for a gallon of gas has risen to $4.47, an increase of over 30 cents since early September.

Mast identified China as a primary actor exacerbating oil price increases through its backing of both Iran and Russia. He believes Trump can leverage his meeting with Xi to press for a reduction in this support for Tehran.

"China is arming Iran so that Iran can indiscriminately attack civilians moving through the strait," Mast explained. "The United States, looking to protect all of those resources going through there, the civilians going on the ships through there and the civilians across all of the countries throughout the Gulf."

Mast noted that over the past two months, significant oil and shipping traffic has moved through the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iranian actions. He suggested that this instability, fueled in part by China's actions, impacts global oil markets.

The upcoming summit will be Trump's third meeting with Xi, and Xi's first visit to the U.S. during Trump's current term.

Mast suggested that Trump possesses leverage in these discussions, pointing to a recent Russia-Iran sanctions bill that the president signed into law. This legislation, named in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, could significantly impact trade with China if Trump chooses not to waive certain sanction authorities.

"China is the number one target for that sanctions bill. It would affect, has the potential to affect, a great deal of trade if President Trump chooses not to waive some of his sanction authorities that he's given in that bill," Mast said.