US President Donald Trump said his country could benefit economically from rising oil prices but added that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains his overriding priority. He called Iran an “evil empire” and warned that its nuclear ambitions could threaten the stability of the Middle East and beyond.“The United States is the largest oil producer in the world, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money. BUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stopping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World. I won’t ever let that happen! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he wrote on Truth Social.This comes as the conflict with Iran entered day 13. A day before, Trump had said that the war with Iran could end “soon”, claiming American forces have already inflicted massive damage on Tehran’s military capabilities. Speaking to Axios, Trump said there was “practically nothing left to target” in Iran. “Little this and that… Any time I want it to end, it will end,” Trump said, adding that the conflict was progressing faster than expected.Meanwhile, as the conflict continues, the US has reportedly spent at least $11.3 billion during the first week of its military campaign against Iran, according to a Pentagon estimate shared with Congress, The New York Times reported on Thursday. The figure represents the most detailed assessment so far of the conflict’s financial cost, as the war entered its 13th day with no clear end in sight.According to the report, the estimate covers only the cost of the initial phase of the operations and excludes several major expenses, including the deployment of additional troops, aircraft and naval forces to the region ahead of the strikes. Meanwhile, oil prices have already been soaring amid the conflict especially amid the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, surging on Thursday, briefly beyond the $100 mark.The International Energy Agency said the Middle East conflict “is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market”, a day after its member countries agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves — the largest coordinated drawdown on record.Despite the move, concerns over constrained energy supplies persisted. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route that typically carries about one-fifth of the world’s crude, has effectively been shut following retaliatory attacks by Iran on vessels and neighbouring Gulf states.
