President Donald Trump suggested on September 13 that the United States could opt to remain in Iran to secure the country’s oil resources. Speaking to reporters at his Trump International golf course in Ireland, the president stated, “We’ll ultimately get out, unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela,” adding that U.S. revenue generated from Venezuela has already “paid for the war many times.”
The administration previously announced in August that it had secured majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves through a business partnership. Following the U.S. seizure of President Nicolas Maduro in January, interim leader Delcy Rodriguez praised this agreement as a move to bolster government revenue and the national economy.
Regarding the ongoing military engagement, Trump indicated that the conflict in Iran is expected to conclude around the time of the midterm elections. “Iran will end right after − maybe before − but it’ll end right after the midterms. Gasoline’s going to drop like a rock,” he claimed, asserting that Iranian officials are eager to negotiate a deal. He emphasized, however, that he would not accept any agreement he deems inadequate, despite previous denials from Iranian officials regarding the nature of these alleged communications.
The conflict has significantly impacted global markets, with domestic gas prices remaining elevated. According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline reached $4.31 on September 13. The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been a primary driver of these rising fuel costs.
Public support for the campaign appears to be waning, with a late-August Reuters/Ipsos poll showing that only 25% of Americans view the conflict as worthwhile. Despite this, the president maintains that the military action is necessary to prevent the Iranian government from obtaining nuclear capabilities. “We salute the service members working right now to ensure the world’s number one sponsor of terror – the Islamic Republic of Iran – will never ever have a nuclear weapon,” he remarked during a 9/11 memorial event held earlier last week.
While addressing his administration’s policies in Ireland, the president also took the opportunity to defend advancements in artificial intelligence. His comments followed a public essay by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, which advocated for increased safety precautions and oversight regarding the development of AI technology.
