Can Trump persuade Americans to ignore oil prices and back his war on Iran?
Americast
BBC
4.3 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 11 March 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Does Donald Trump actually have a plan for the war in Iran? Eleven days on from the start of the conflict - with rising oil prices, and worries over oil supplies - the president’s narrative has shifted, branding the war “very complete”, while also signalling that ”we're going to go further.” Can he persuade Americans to back him?
However, the decision to withdraw from Iran is not as straightforward as it may seem. Anthony and Sarah discuss what factors might be keeping the US forces in the region? How far will they back Israel? And what might be necessary to keep key shipping lanes moving, to avoid petrol and gas price inflation not just in the United States, but also around the world.
Sarah’s in Kentucky ahead of the latest stop of Trump’s affordability tour, asking whether president can take control of the narrative to convince voters and lawmakers that he has a clear plan for success in Iran? And despite promising to put America first, will his MAGA base agree with the president that higher prices are “a very small price to pay for USA and World, Safety and Peace”? We also look at the role of Congress and the process for Trump when it comes to funding the war.
HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
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This episode was made by Rufus Gray, Alix Pickles, and Mhairi MacKensize. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:05.6 | Is President Trump losing control of the narrative on Iran? |
| 0:10.3 | The question remains, will the president pull American forces out as soon as possible? |
| 0:14.5 | Or has he started something that's now too big to extricate himself from? |
| 0:18.5 | The messaging from the president continues to be inconsistent. |
| 0:23.1 | Mr. President, you've said the war is, quote, very complete, but your defense secretary |
| 0:26.9 | says this is just the beginning. |
| 0:28.7 | So which is it? |
| 0:29.8 | And how long should Americans be prepared for this war to last? |
| 0:32.3 | The beginning, it's the beginning of building a new country. |
| 0:36.2 | We could call it a tremendous success right now, as we leave here, I could call it, or we |
| 0:41.7 | could go further, and we're going to go further. |
| 0:45.2 | So what is the big priority now for Donald Trump? |
| 0:48.2 | Is it the military objectives he said at the beginning, or will the rising price of oil |
| 0:52.3 | and gas dictate what he feels he has to do |
| 0:55.1 | next on Iran? Welcome to AmeriCast. |
| 1:00.3 | AmeriCast from BBC News. You hear that sound? Oh, I think when I hear that sound, it |
| 1:06.9 | reminds me of money. We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. |
| 1:12.5 | This is a big cover up, and this administration is engaged in it. |
| 1:15.9 | This guy has Trump Arrangement Syndrome. |
| 1:18.1 | I have four words for you. |
| 1:21.4 | Turn the volume up. |
... |
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