President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday with a forceful call to boost oil output, demanding immediate action from both domestic and global producers.
“To the Department of Energy: DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!” Trump wrote, in a post on Truth Social underscoring his concerns about rising oil prices in the wake of recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
“EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I’M WATCHING! YOU’RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON’T DO IT!” Trump wrote.
The urgency behind Trump’s demand is part of a broader response to heightened instability in the Middle East, according to the Associated Press.
American installations in the region remain on alert, with fears of Iranian retaliation looming after a dramatic assault involving bunker-busting bombs and Tomahawk missiles targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Adding to the uncertainty, Iran’s parliament voted to support closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy chokepoint.
The final decision rests with Iran’s national security council, though White House officials quickly warned against it.
“The Iranian regime would be foolish to make that decision,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Market reactions were swift but mixed — crude prices briefly surged 4% before swinging back as traders focused more on potential Iranian countermeasures than on the initial strike. Futures trading remained unsettled Monday, though oil remained above pre-conflict levels.
Meanwhile, American embassies have begun scaling back operations in high-risk areas. Nonessential staff were pulled from Lebanon, and emergency flights for U.S. citizens departing Israel have doubled. A shelter-in-place alert was issued to Americans in Qatar before the situation was later declared stable.
Though Tehran has previously threatened closure of the strait, many experts remain doubtful of full follow-through.
“There’s been a lot of suggestion as well that this isn’t something that is incredibly likely, and that’s generally attributed to economic interdependence, which I don’t want to suggest doesn’t matter. It absolutely does,” said Colby Connelly of the Middle East Institute. “If the 2020s have taught us anything so far, it’s that economic ties don’t always prevent conflict.”
Observers note Iran may hesitate to close off its own oil route, especially under the gaze of China, its top buyer. The crisis invites comparisons to sanctions imposed on Russia before its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, though Iran’s economic isolation is far more entrenched.
