Senate candidate Michael Whatley says US must prevent Iran nuclear capacity
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- Whatley urges supporting U.S. troops to prevent Iran gaining nuclear capabilities.
- He urges preventing Iran's missile strikes into U.S./Europe and stopping terror exports.
- Whatley links high gas prices to the war while praising increased U.S. oil production.
U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, a Republican, said on Thursday that the United States must support its troops in Iran to ensure that the nation will not have nuclear capabilities.
He said Iran’s ability to “deliver payloads via missiles into Europe or the United States” must be prevented.
Whatley, who will face Democrat and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper for the seat in November, discussed energy affordability with reporters after a roundtable event with “local job creators” and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.
The United States and Israel began using airstrikes to bomb Iran in February. Since then, thousands of American troops have arrived in the region, as reported by ABC News. President Donald Trump on social media announced a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday following weeks of heavy bombing.
Whatley said the United States needs to also guarantee that Iran will “stop exporting terrorism.”
“That is an agenda that is widely popular here in North Carolina,” Whatley said. “I’m shocked that Roy Cooper is against that agenda right now, but the fact is we need to support our troops right now.”
Cooper has said he’s thankful for what U.S. troops have done in “removing some of the leaders and (to) damage some of the weapons of this extremist regime,” but said he’s skeptical of the changing rationale for the war and fears it “may end up being a forever war that’s going to end up driving up costs for everyday people,” according to comments in a video posted online March 9 by the Greensboro News and Record.
At a rally Thursday in Durham, Cooper told supporters prices are “just skyrocketing. And now with the war in Iran, here comes higher gas prices — yet another burden for working families.”
Since the war in Iran began, crude oil prices have spiked, according to the Associated Press. The spike has caused gasoline prices to rise and the nationwide average for a gallon of gas to surpass $4 for the first time since 2022.
The Strait of Hormuz, a major oil trade passage between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, was essentially closed by Iran in retaliation for the airstrikes, AP reported. Trump on social media threatened to destroy Iranian infrastructure if the strait were not reopened.
The temporary ceasefire included reopening the waterway, according to AP.
When asked about rising gas prices, Whatley said the United States is producing more oil than any other country globally, “and more than we have historically.”
According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the United States in 2023 produced nearly 22 million barrels of oil per day, which was about 10 million more barrels than Saudi Arabia, who took second place on that list.
“Obviously, gas prices are extremely important on a day-to-day basis across the economy, and so I’m very glad that the president has unleashed American energy,” Whatley said.
Congressional impact reporter Danielle Battaglia contributed.
This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 7:54 PM.
