US President Donald Trump has again indicated that the war with Iran could end soon, saying oil prices would fall sharply if Iran agrees to surrender.
In remarks cited by US media, Trump said oil prices were expected to decline very rapidly once the conflict ends. He also said the prices of other goods were coming down and claimed that oil remained cheaper than during the administration of former President Joe Biden.
Trump also referred to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, saying a record amount of oil had passed through the waterway the previous night. He said the US was gaining greater control over the strategic strait, through which a significant volume of global oil is transported.
According to Trump, 29 vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz the previous night. He also claimed that Iran wanted the waterway reopened quickly because it was suffering significant financial losses, with oil revenue being an important source of income.
Trump further said the US wanted to open up Cuba for its people.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran had never sought to develop nuclear weapons. In a recent interview with CBS News, he said the country’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had issued a religious decree declaring the development of nuclear weapons forbidden.
Pezeshkian also said that even if some individuals in Iran wanted to develop nuclear weapons, they were not religiously permitted to pursue such a course. He accused the US of attacking Iran while negotiations were underway and said Tehran believed Washington’s objective was to change the Iranian government rather than resolve the dispute through diplomacy.
The Iranian president has also said Tehran remains open to negotiations and would accept nuclear inspections as part of an agreement, while calling for commitments made during previous talks to be honoured.
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