¶ Overview
- Edwards defended Trump’s war in Iran, even writing an entire op-ed in its defense and saying he was willing to support it “until the mission is done.” As a result of the war, gas prices in Western North Carolina had risen to an average of $4 per gallon as of May 2026.
¶ Edwards Wrote An Entire Op-Ed Defending The Iran War That Was Causing Western North Carolina To Pay Higher Gas Prices
¶ edwards fully supported the war in iran
Edwards Wrote An Op-Ed Defending Trump’s War In Iran; Claiming It Was Not A Prolonged Campaign And That It Was Justified. According to an op-ed by Rep. Chuck Edwards in the Asheville Citizen Times, "Operation Epic Fury is long overdue. Since 1984, when the United States formally designated Iran a State Sponsor of Terrorism under the leadership of Ronald Reagan, the regime in Tehran has defined itself in direct opposition to the freedoms America defends. For more than four decades, that hostility, echoed in chants of ‘Death to America’, has gone far beyond rhetoric. It has been lethal. […] Limited, targeted strikes have been used by presidents of both parties to protect American personnel and interests. In Libya under President Obama, in Syria under President Biden, and now in response to Iran under President Trump, the doctrine has remained consistent: discrete uses of force, confined in scope and duration, do not constitute full-scale war. No prolonged campaign. No national mobilization. The War Powers Resolution requires notification and imposes time constraints; it does not prohibit limited defensive action. International law is equally clear. Article 51 of the U.N. Charter affirms a nation’s inherent right of self-defense. A response to ongoing aggression is lawful. For years, Iran has tested American restraint through proxy warfare, maritime aggression, hostage-taking, cyber operations, and repeated attacks on our troops. Consequences are not escalation for escalation’s sake. They are the restoration of deterrence. Strength and restraint are not opposites. When applied deliberately and proportionally, they form the foundation of peace." [Rep. Chuck Edwards Op-Ed – Asheville Citizen Times, 3/15/26]
Edwards Supported Trump’s Strike On Iran And Said Trump’s Justification For Doing So “Squares With Me Perfectly.” According to ABC 13, "Rep. Chuck Edwards, who represents North Carolina's 11th congressional district, said he supports President Donald Trump's decision to attack Iran. ‘Yes, I am concerned for any American that would be harmed in any way,’ said Edwards. ‘But I also think we need to be concerned with potentially thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of American lives that would be lost in the future if Iran were allowed to continue its promise to annihilate America.’ Trump claimed that Iran's nuclear program had been ‘obliterated’ last summer. Still, the Trump administration cited an immediate nuclear threat from Iran as part of its justification for launching this weekend's strike. Edwards said he supported that position. ‘That squares with me perfectly because the fact we obliterated it does not mean we obliterated Iran’s desire to continue to manufacture enriched uranium,’ Edwards continued." [ABC 13, 3/2/26]
Edwards Said He Was Willing To Support The War In Iran “Until The Mission Is Done.” According to the Asheville Citizen Times, "The president has indicated the war in Iran is expected to last at least a couple of weeks. How long are you willing to support the war? Edwards: I'm willing to support it until the mission is done and I have no reason to believe that this is going to be an elongated war. The President and those folks that have briefed Congress give us every reason to believe this is going to be a very targeted mission and that Congress's actions to declare war will not be necessary." [Asheville Citizen Times, 3/16/26]
- Edwards Did Not Rule Out Putting American Troops On The Ground In Iran. According to the Asheville Citizen Times, "Would you support boots on the ground? Edwards: I'm going to support what the president and his military advisers suggest we need in order to carry out the mission." [Asheville Citizen Times, 3/16/26]
¶ March 2026: Edwards Was Dismissive Of Higher Gas Prices As A Result Of The War In Iran
March 2026: Edwards Was Dismissive Of Higher Gas Prices As A Result Of The Iran War: “I Would Look For Things To Settle Down Very Soon.” According to Politico, "The impact of higher gas prices is hitting just as House Republicans gather for their annual policy retreat at Trump’s resort in Doral, Florida. The evidence could be seen just outside the gates, where regular gas was retailing at multiple stations for $3.59 per gallon — up about 70 cents from the Miami-area average on Jan. 1, according to GasBuddy.com. The hope among Republicans gathered at the resort is that the crisis is short-lived, with several saying they believed Trump’s assurances that the supply bottlenecks caused by Iran’s effective blockade of the Persian Gulf would soon ease. ‘I believe there’s a lot of emotion built into energy prices,’ Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) said in an interview. ‘I would look for things to settle down very soon." [Politico, 3/9/26]
¶ by may 2026, gas prices in western north carolina were averaging $4/ gallon
HEADLINE: "Gas Prices In Asheville Area Rise Nearly 20 Cents In Days, Averaging $4.03: Gasbuddy" [ABC 13 News, 5/1/26]
HEADLINE: "North Carolina Gas Average Climbs To $4.13 As National Prices Reach $4.48, AAA Says" [ABC 12 News, 5/5/26]
As Of 5/6/26, Average Gas Prices In North Carolina Were $4.21 Per Gallon.
[AAA, Viewed 5/6/26]