President Donald Trump said he thinks the war against Iran will end “very soon” during a trip to Ireland on Saturday, adding that it will be “probably right after” November’s midterm elections. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the same day vowed that the country “will never surrender” at the annual BRICS summit in New Delhi.
Speaking to reporters, Trump accused Iran of “trying to hold out as long as they can to complicate the election.”
“I think people are wise to it because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Download the Straight Arrow app today to get the stories that matter free from manipulation, bias or agenda.™
Point phone camera here
Pezeshkian, meanwhile, said Iran was attacked without justification, and its leader, military commanders, children, and scientists have been killed in the conflict, state-run Tasnim News Agency reported.
He said Iran wants “unjust sanctions” to be lifted, and that it will defend “the rights of its people with all its capabilities,” Tasnim wrote.
Trump: Oil will ‘come tumbling down’ when war ends
Once the war ends, Trump said, “oil will come tumbling down.”
As Straight Arrow reported, the pinch that American drivers feel at the pump currently shows no signs of subsiding. Renewed conflict in Yemen raised the risk premium on global oil flows — and it was already high because of the Iran war.
On Friday, oil prices did dip, but stayed at over $100 a barrel — Brent crude oil futures were $104.61 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate was $100.05 per barrel.
New advances in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels in Yemen, along with the renewed strikes between the U.S. and Iran, threatened expectations that prices could stabilize.
The Houthis seized the port city of Mokha near the mouth of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Now, the Houthis reportedly control all of Yemen’s coastline along the Red Sea.
Trump said Saturday the U.S. has had “discussions” with the Houthis.
“The Houthis called us, and they don’t want to fight with us,” he said. “They don’t want us to go after them, but they’ve called and they’ve talked to us and they don’t want us to.”
Making the outlook for crude oil worse the shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline after a pumping station was hit with a projectile on Thursday. Two U.S. officials confirmed the attack to CNN.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said the drone was launched from Iraq, resulting “in injuries and some damage.”
The East-West pipeline was then “suspended as a precautionary measure,” the Saudi Energy Ministry said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi announced an investigation into the attack on the pipeline, with “legal measures” to be taken against anyone involved.
Al-Zaidi’s office said a military commander who led the Maysan Province Police was dismissed following the attack.
“The Iraqi government condemns the attacks that targeted the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and affirms its rejection of any aggression that harms the Kingdom’s security and stability, or prejudices the longstanding fraternal relations between the two countries,” Sabah Al-Nu’man, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, said in a statement.
Asked about the pipeline attack on Saturday, Trump said Iran is “probably” responsible.
Round out your reading
- Lawyer says 57 Cornell frat members were in the group chat. Could their silence be a crime?
- Florida county discovers mysterious Flock cameras with no obvious owner.
- Off Script: They won their primaries on one message. Now it’s disappearing.
- Some question whether a popular affordable housing policy is making the nation’s home shortage worse.
- Kelvin wave incoming: Why the US should care.
.
