Iran07 May, 20262 min read
Trump Says War Against Iran Is Worth $200 Oil Prices To Stop Nuclear Weapon
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Trump links higher oil prices to stopping Iran's nuclear weapon program. U.S. strategy relies on economic pressure rather than a quick military victory.
The Jerusalem Post was read line by line by the Watchdog: 5.7. See the score →
Trump ties oil to Iran
President Donald Trump said higher oil prices are worth it to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, speaking Tuesday during a press conference about price increases after the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran at the end of February. Trump said, "Even if it went to $200, it would've been worth it," and added, "We had just set a record -- 50,000 on the Dow."
He also said, "I hate to do this but we’re going to have to make an excursion down to Iran because we can’t let them have a nuclear weapon." The AL | West Asian report said oil prices in the U.S. fell from over $100 to $95.60 Wednesday, and that AAA data put regular gas prices averaged to $4.54 a gallon Wednesday, a 50 percent increase since February.
Security assessment links motive
Reuters, as cited by Iran International, reported that a security assessment by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security suggested that a war with Iran could be one of the motives behind Col. Allen’s attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.
The assessment said the accused had "multiple social and political grievances" and concluded that the Iran war "may have contributed to his decision to carry out the attack." The Arabic-language Al Arabiya Net and Reuters report said the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis issued an initial assessment dated April 27 and that it was shared with Reuters after being obtained by the nonprofit organization Property of the People. It also said the report pointed to Allen’s posts criticizing the United States' actions in the war and that the FBI declined to comment.
Markets, chokepoints, and pressure
Bloomberg reported that gold prices rose as Washington weighed new military options in the war against Iran, with spot gold trading above $4,616 per ounce after retreating 3.4% over three sessions. Bloomberg said oil rose to $126 per barrel, the highest level in four years, and that traders weighed the possibility of renewed military escalation in the Middle East.
CFR President Michael Froman wrote that the war’s outcome for U.S. national interest hinges on what happens next as well as what happened since the war started on February 28, and he described Operation Epic Fury as a "capital V military victory" in the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s telling. Froman also argued that the reality in the Strait of Hormuz reflects Iran’s ability to close a critical maritime chokepoint, writing that "Iran has successfully weaponized interdependence" through its control of the Strait.