As international oil prices surged due to the impact of the airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities, U.S. President Donald Trump directly intervened. On the 23rd (local time), President Trump urged, "Everyone, lower the gas prices. I'm watching," calling for measures to stabilize oil prices.
President Trump wrote this on his social media platform, "Truth Social."
He went on to warn the energy sector, saying, "You are playing into the hands of the enemy. Don't do that."
Under President Trump's orders, the U.S. conducted surprise bombings on three Iranian nuclear facilities on the 21st. This caused significant turbulence in the international crude oil market. On this day, the August futures price for Brent crude at the London ICE Futures Exchange briefly surpassed $80 per barrel.
In particular, concerns are spreading that if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, fears of oil supply disruptions will intensify, leading to further increases in oil prices. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic chokepoint through which about 20% of the world's oil transport passes.
President Trump's comments that day are interpreted as a preemptive response to prevent the aftershocks from his airstrike decision from spilling over into rising oil prices and inflation in the U.S. Since the start of his second term, President Trump has made curbing inflation a top priority.
In a subsequent post, President Trump ordered the Department of Energy, "Drill, Baby, Drill. And do it right now." This is seen as a reiteration of last year's campaign promise for "energy independence," strongly directing the expansion of oil and gas drilling in the U.S.
Meanwhile, President Trump asked Dmitry Medvedev, the former president of Russia and deputy head of the Security Council, "I think I heard something about bringing up the 'N word (Nuclear).' Did I hear that wrong? Or did you really say that?" He then stated, "The 'N word' is not something to be taken lightly." Referring to the recent attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, he said, "Without a doubt, the strongest and most advanced equipment we have is nuclear submarines," adding, "We launched 30 Tomahawks recently, and they all hit their targets perfectly."
Earlier, Deputy Medvedev suggested that several countries are prepared to provide Iran with nuclear warheads immediately following the U.S. airstrike on Iran's three nuclear facilities, indicating that Russia is also willing to support Iran with nuclear weapons. This is interpreted as an emphasis on the U.S. nuclear deterrent.