Sept. 13, 2026, 12:48 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump mentioned the US may “keep in Iran” and “hold the oil,” because the warfare within the Center East that is roiled international oil markets continues.
“We’ll in the end get out (of Iran), except we resolve to remain and hold the oil like Venezuela,” Trump instructed reporters on the Trump Worldwide golf course in Eire on Sept. 13, saying U.S. income from Venezuela has “paid for the warfare many instances.”
Trump introduced in August that the US secured majority management of greater than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s confirmed oil reserves by way of a partnership with personal enterprise. Delcy Rodriguez, who turned interim chief after the US seized President Nicolas Maduro in January, welcomed the settlement, saying it could increase the financial system and authorities income.
Trump did not instantly present further info on a possible oil settlement with Iran. USA TODAY has reached out to the White Home for remark.
Nonetheless, many People are essential of the continued battle in Iran, which has pushed up gasoline costs. A Reuters/Ipsos ballot launched late final month discovered that solely 1 / 4 of People assume the Iran warfare is worth it, down from earlier surveys earlier this yr.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has additionally shaken international gasoline costs for months. The common nationwide worth for a gallon of standard gasoline was $4.31 on Sept. 13, in line with AAA.
The president has defended the continued battle, repeatedly arguing America needed to goal Iranian nuclear capabilities.
“We salute our first responders and regulation enforcement, and we love them, and we salute the service members working proper now to make sure the world’s primary sponsor of terror – the Islamic Republic of Iran – won’t ever ever have a nuclear weapon,” Trump mentioned at a 9/11 memorial final week.
The president additionally instructed reporters throughout his journey to Eire that the warfare in “Iran will finish proper after − perhaps earlier than − however it’ll finish proper after the midterms. Gasoline’s going to drop like a rock.” He added, “I’ll inform you this: Iran needs to make a deal so dangerous. They’re calling continuously. They need to make a deal. They have to make the correct deal. I am not going to make a deal that is no good,” he mentioned.
Iranian officers have beforehand denied comparable descriptions of negotiations with the US.
In his feedback in Eire, Trump additionally defended AI after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei revealed an essay calling for larger precautions concerning synthetic intelligence.
Contributing: Reuters
