The Trump administration says keeping oil and gas prices affordable for Americans is now its top objective in the Iran conflict, while also insisting Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon. Vice President JD Vance called cheap fuel "goal number one," and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. plans new sanctions and broader economic isolation next week as Washington leans on sanctions, port restrictions and a naval blockade rather than another major offensive. The pressure campaign comes as fighting around the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt energy flows and raise prices. Emirati officials said Iran attacked two United Arab Emirates ships in the strait late Thursday, while AAA said the U.S. national average gasoline price reached $4.08 a gallon on Friday, up from $3.88 a month earlier; an earlier version of the report cited $4.07. President Donald Trump said he would "never apologize" for gasoline above $4 a gallon if that helped stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, even as Republican strategist Karl Rove criticized Trump's claims that prices were falling rapidly as out of step with consumers' experience. Iranian business figures and analysts warn that a prolonged blockade could deepen shortages, inflation and unrest inside Iran. Majidreza Hariri of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce said rerouting about 2 million containers a year from Iran's southern ports to land routes could raise annual transport costs by about $18 billion, with per-container shipping costs to China rising to $12,000 from about $3,000.