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President Donald J. Trump warned global oil producers to hold back from making moves that would increase consumer costs following the United States military’s obliteration of Iran’s three main nuclear sites.
In a Monday morning Truth Social post, the 47th president wrote, “EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I’M WATCHING! YOU’RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON’T DO IT!”
Two minutes later, Trump followed up with an order to increase energy production in the United States. “To The Department of Energy: DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright swiftly responded to Trump’s call in a post on X. “We’re on it! Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, America’s energy security is stronger than ever before.”
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum pointed to the historic legislation currently making its way through Congress.
“@POTUS’ One Big Beautiful Bill ENDS the Biden-Harris attack on U.S. energy and jumpstarts a new era of American Energy Dominance by opening federal lands and waters to oil, gas, coal, geothermal, and mineral leasing!”
According to The Economic Times, global markets responded to the United States’ actions cautiously, with prices spiking around 4 percent at the open, but quickly pared back.
The soft reaction was likely reflective of low confidence in Iran refraining from retaliatory actions, such as blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a critical passageway for global oil shipments. Current U.S. crude oil prices are hovering around $72 per barrel, according to Commodity.com.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed doubt that Iran would close the Strait during a Sunday interview with the CBS program “Face the Nation.”
Calling it a “suicidal move,” he told the host that “the whole world would come against them if they do that.” Rubio emphasized how China would react, given their reliance on the waterway.
“If they do that, the first people that should be angry about it should be the Chinese government.”
Long before his first run for office and over the last 10 years, President Trump repeatedly said that Iran, the largest state-sponsor of terrorism in the World, should never have a nuclear weapon.
Following Operation Midnight Hammer, President Trump called for peace and said, “IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR.” He cautioned against retaliation and warned that it would “BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER” than the targeted nuclear facility bombing.