President Donald Trump, in a public statement, now warns that US strategic petroleum reserves would be exhausted within four weeks unless a deal with Iran is reached, a sharp reversal from earlier statements in March and April in which he declared the US fully independent of the Middle East and not affected by oil supply issues. The remarks, reported by Abu Ali Express, come as negotiations with Iran continue.
President Donald Trump appeared to contradict his own public assessments on US energy independence, warning Thursday that the country's strategic petroleum reserves would be exhausted within four weeks without a deal with Iran.
Abu Ali Express quoted Trump saying: "If I hadn't agreed to the memorandum of understanding, in about four weeks our reserves would have run out... They really were running out, and a situation would be reached where there would no longer be access to them."
The statement marks a sharp reversal from earlier comments by Trump. On March 9 he said: "We are now completely independent of the Middle East. We don't need their oil." On April 1 he stated: "It really doesn't affect us. We have enormous amounts of oil. We have vast quantities of oil and gas — far more than we need."
As The Zioneer previously reported (June 17, 19:43 Jerusalem), Trump said earlier this week that without the emerging deal, the US bombing campaign would have continued for "2-3-4 weeks or two years." The evolving language on reserves appears to be part of a broader effort to frame the ongoing US-Iran negotiations as necessary to avert domestic crisis.
The negotiations with Iran are reportedly in advanced stages, with Trump's tone on oil dependence shifting markedly as the talks reach a critical phase.
2 developments
- StrongTrump says US to finalize Iran deal within days, achieve 'total victory' within two weeks
- DevelopingTrump warns: 'We have an ultimate alternative' if Iran nuclear talks falter
- DevelopingTrump gives Iran 60-day deadline to reach nuclear deal
- DevelopingAmerican official: time is running out for Iran
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