Trump to Americans: Endure high gas prices so we can prevent Iran from going nuclear - Sarmad
US President Donald Trump has urged Americans to accept paying more for gasoline due to the ongoing war with Iran and disruptions to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking at a political rally in Garden City, New York, Trump said that paying a “small additional amount for gasoline” was worth it to ensure that Iran, which he described as a “very evil country,” does not acquire a nuclear weapon.
The US president’s remarks come as the repercussions of the war continue to impact energy markets. The effective halt of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz contributed to a rise in crude oil futures by about $1 per barrel on Friday.
Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude were on track to achieve weekly gains of approximately 6% and 5.4%, respectively.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for global energy trade, with about one-fifth of global oil exports passing through it before its closure following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.
According to an analysis by Kpler, a company specializing in tracking ship movements, only two vessels passed through the strait on Friday, and no crude oil shipments were detected. This marks a sharp decline from the more than 130 vessels that used to pass through daily before the war.
A Difficult Political Equation
Rising gasoline prices present Trump with a difficult political equation, as they contradict one of his main campaign promises to lower energy costs and improve the purchasing power of Americans.
Trump stated that paying a limited additional cost at gas stations is an “acceptable price” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, Trump’s opponents in the US Democratic Party are seeking to exploit the economic repercussions of the war with Iran, including rising fuel prices, viewing this as a key issue in the midterm congressional elections scheduled for November.
Attacks on Oil Tankers
The dangers facing ship navigation in the Strait of Hormuz are escalating. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) stated that two of its vessels were attacked while transiting the strait on Thursday evening. The official UAE news agency (WAM) also reported that another vessel was attacked on Friday.
Iran claims that the restrictions on navigation constitute a “blockade,” while the United States uses the same term to describe its threats against Iranian ships leaving the country’s ports.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that Tehran would continue to impose restrictions on the strait, emphasizing that its opening or closing “would be solely at Iran’s discretion.”
He added that the United States cannot control the strait “with a tweet, an aircraft carrier, or an order.”
