Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Donald Trump said preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is a far greater priority than rising global energy prices, as the ongoing war in the Middle East continues to push oil markets into turmoil.
In comments posted on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump argued that the United States is uniquely positioned to benefit from higher energy prices because it remains the world’s largest oil producer.
“When oil prices rise, we make a lot of money,” Trump wrote, emphasizing that the American energy sector stands to gain from market volatility triggered by the conflict.
Despite that economic advantage, the US president insisted that the primary objective of Washington’s military campaign is to stop what he described as Iran’s “empire of evil” from developing nuclear weapons and destabilizing the region.
“What matters more to me as president is preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons and destroying the Middle East and the world,” Trump said, adding that the United States would not allow such a scenario to occur.
His remarks came as tensions escalated following the first public statement by Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who called for continued confrontation with the United States and urged Iranian forces to keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed.
In a televised statement carried by Iranian state media, Khamenei described the closure of the narrow waterway as a key strategic lever against Tehran’s adversaries. The strait, which connects the Persian Gulf to global shipping lanes, normally carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies.
“Its closure must certainly be used as a card against the enemy,” he said.
The disruption has already had major consequences for global energy markets. Oil prices have surged back above $100 per barrel after briefly falling earlier in the week when Trump suggested the conflict could end soon.
Iranian officials have warned that prices could climb much higher if the confrontation continues, with some predicting crude could reach $200 per barrel if shipping remains blocked.
Tehran has declared that it will not allow oil shipments through the strait until the United States and Israel halt their attacks on Iranian territory. Iranian leaders have also rejected the possibility of negotiations with Washington under current conditions.
Meanwhile, senior US officials have acknowledged the growing risks to global shipping in the region. Chris Wright said the US military is not yet ready to escort commercial tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Speaking to CNBC, Wright said the US Navy would likely be able to provide such protection in the near future but admitted that the capability is not currently in place.
“Simply put, we’re not ready yet,” Wright said, explaining that US military resources are presently focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the industrial infrastructure supporting them.
The escalating conflict follows a series of large-scale US and Israeli strikes on Iranian military and strategic facilities. Trump described the attacks as among the most powerful military operations ever conducted against a single country.
“We hit them harder than almost any country has ever been hit in history,” he told reporters at the White House before departing for visits to Ohio and Kentucky.
“And we’re not finished yet,” he added.
The president’s trip is expected to focus heavily on economic issues, including efforts to reduce prescription drug costs and stabilize an American economy increasingly affected by the geopolitical shockwaves of the war.
Trump plans to tour facilities operated by Thermo Fisher Scientific in the city of Cincinnati before traveling to a logistics packaging center in Hebron, Kentucky.
The visit also carries political implications. Trump is backing a challenger to Republican congressman Thomas Massie, one of the few members of his party who has publicly opposed aspects of the administration’s policies.
At the same time, the White House is attempting to reassure Americans that the administration remains focused on economic stability even as the conflict with Iran deepens. Rising gasoline prices in the United States have reached their highest levels since mid-2024, driven largely by the disruption of global oil supplies.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president would continue emphasizing economic priorities during the trip.
Nevertheless, analysts warn that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the widening military confrontation between Iran, the United States and Israel could trigger prolonged volatility in global energy markets, raising the risk of a wider economic shock.
