Trump: EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING!
3 Min Read
US President Trump urges the oil sector to keep prices low as Iran responds to US-Israeli strikes, warning that rising costs would benefit America's enemies.
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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters upon arriving at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Monday in a desperate attempt to contain a global oil shock of Washington's own making. The alarm came after US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, attacks that sparked international condemnation and prompted Tehran to consider closing the Strait of Hormuz in response.
"EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!" Trump ranted online, followed by a call to exploit more domestic reserves: "DRILL, BABY DRILL!!!"
But Trump's panic posts cannot reverse the tide. The aggression against Iran — a nation whose peaceful nuclear program remains under full IAEA oversight — has exposed not Iranian weakness, but the volatility of a US-led world order increasingly out of step with international law and regional realities.
Trump just ordered the oil market to stay down. I’m serious.
— ADAM (@AdameMedia) June 23, 2025
The emperor is not wearing any clothes. pic.twitter.com/zGDBOBQw4O
Strait of Hormuz: Iran Holds the Cards
Markets reacted immediately. Oil prices soared as news spread that multiple oil tankers, including the Marie C, Red Ruby, and Kohzan Maru, abruptly rerouted to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime lifeline for nearly a fifth of the world's crude.
Iran has not yet moved to shut the Strait, but its message is clear: continued aggression will have consequences. The Shura Council is deliberating lawful defensive measures, and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement affirming that US bases across the region are "not strategic assets, but points of vulnerability." The IRGC vowed to respond with "overwhelming precision and power."
Read more: US bases across region are point of vulnerability, not strength: IRGC
Global markets have begun pricing in the risk. Brent crude and WTI have both spiked to multi-month highs, reflecting deep concern over possible supply disruptions.
As Russian investment chief Kirill Dmitriev rightly observed: "If the Strait is shut, the US won’t be spared. No one is immune from a global oil shock."
Iran's Sovereignty
Despite the provocations, Iran's leadership has reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful nuclear development under IAEA protocols. However, in response to the blatant violation of its sovereignty, the Iranian parliament is now weighing withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a move intended to hold aggressors accountable under international law.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, currently in Moscow for high-level discussions, described the strikes as "a grave assault not only on Iran, but on international order." Global condemnation has poured in from China, Russia, and the wider Global South, with UN officials warning of a "perilous turn" in West Asia.
