Oil hit the century mark for the second time this week as President Trump pledged Thursday to destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions — a goal he described as more important than any oil price disruption. In a Truth Social post, Trump called Iran an “evil Empire” and vowed that he would never allow it to develop nuclear weapons. His statement came as the IEA described the global oil market disruption caused by the conflict as the worst supply shock ever recorded.
Gulf producers have reportedly cut output by around 10 million barrels per day, close to 10% of global demand, as a result of the fighting. Brent crude rose as much as 10% Thursday to briefly exceed $100 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate climbed toward $96. The IEA responded with the release of 400 million barrels from members’ emergency reserves, while the United States separately announced a release of 172 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
In his Truth Social post, Trump argued that America benefits from higher oil prices given its status as the world’s largest crude producer by a wide margin. He then turned to his main point: that this economic benefit is secondary to the imperative of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons that could destroy the Middle East and threaten global stability. He stated his commitment to this objective in unconditional terms.
The pledge to destroy Iran’s nuclear dream has strategic consequences. It tells Tehran that no amount of economic pressure — including the current oil supply shock — will cause Washington to abandon the nuclear containment mission. Trump confirmed this reading on Wednesday, telling reporters outside the White House that US forces have struck Iran harder than almost any nation in history and are not yet finished.
Trump said he has no fear of an Iranian attack on American soil. The global oil market remains in historic disruption. Trump’s pledge on nuclear weapons has effectively defined the terms of the conflict, suggesting it will continue until Iran’s nuclear program is addressed to Washington’s satisfaction.