Trump Downplays Oil Crisis Caused By Iran Conflict

A BBC expert has called out Donald Trump’s attempts to “play down” the global oil supply crisis triggered by his decision to go to war with Iran.

Around a fifth of the world’s oil supply is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, but that has virtually stopped since the war began.

That has led to a massive spike in oil prices, threatening a global economic crisis.

In a post on Truth Social last night, the US president threatened Iran with “death, fire and fury” unless it is opened up again.

He added: “If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far.”

But on Radio 4′s Today programme this morning, BBC Africa editor Barbara Plett-Usher said that was an attempt by the president to create “a distraction” from the consequences of his own actions.

She said: “He started by musing that the US was thinking about taking over the Strait of Hormuz – ‘we could do a lot’, he said. Then in his [press conference] he said the US attacks could rise sharply if Iran tried to blow up tanker traffic – ‘we’ll hit them so hard’ etc etc.

“Then Iran’s Revolutionary Guard responded and said we’re not going to let one litre be shipped through if you and the Israelis continue to attack, and we will determine the end of the war.

“Then Trump escalated in his Truth Social post, in caps, saying if they stop the oil we’ll hit them 20 times harder then they’ve hit thus far.

“All of this is a distraction to the fact that the flow of oil has stopped and Trump is trying to play that down.

“He’s said it’s not really affecting Americans, it won’t last that long, but in effect it’s shut, only a trickle of boats getting through. And it’s difficult to see it opening as long as this hot conflict goes on.”

Plett-Usher also cast doubt on Trump’s explanation for why he started the war, and his claim that other Middle East countries are grateful that he did.

She said: “He suggested that the war was a pre-emptive strike because he said Iran was preparing to launch strikes against its neighbours and potentially a nuclear weapon at Israel.

“He said ‘if we didn’t hit them first they were going to hit our allies first’. He said ‘the countries in the Middle East, very rich countries, are very, very lucky that I’m here’.

“I don’t think any of the Arab countries are feeling particularly lucky that President Trump made the decision he did. They lobbied very hard to try to prevent it and they didn’t expect Iran to attack them unless the Americans and Israelis attacked Iran first.”