"Keep oil prices down. I am watching": Trump issues strong warning amid Middle East unrest
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As tensions escalate in the Middle East following U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, President Donald Trump has called for immediate action to prevent a surge in global oil prices.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump issued a blunt message: “Everyone, keep oil prices down, I’m watching! You’re playing into the hands of the enemy, don’t do it,” he wrote in capital letters.
In a follow-up post directly addressing the U.S. Department of Energy, Trump urged the agency to ramp up domestic production: “Drill, baby, drill. I mean now.”
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright responded to the message with a brief post on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “We’re on it!” However, the specific actions the department might take were not detailed, and the Energy Department has yet to respond to questions about Wright’s comment.
Trump’s push comes amid volatile global oil markets. Brent crude briefly spiked to a five-month high on Monday before dipping over 1% to $76.10 a barrel. Despite the recent U.S. military strikes in Iran, oil and gas tankers continued their routes through the region, helping ease immediate concerns of a supply shock.
In the past, Trump has criticised President Biden’s approach to managing oil reserves, particularly his use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) during the 2022 Ukraine conflict. Trump now appears to be positioning domestic drilling as the preferred solution to stabilise prices.
While U.S. oil and gas drilling activity reached record highs under Biden, Trump has repeatedly pushed for even greater output, using energy policy as a key platform in his ongoing campaign.