WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran would "give up" and claimed the United States had taken more oil out of the Strait of Hormuz over the previous couple of days than at any point in history.
"They will give up... We took more oil out of the Hormuz Strait over the last couple days than at any point in history," Trump told reporters at the White House, speaking after a luncheon with leading technology executives where a voluntary AI safety accord was signed.
Administration's case
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that oil shipments through the strait had reached pre-war levels, averaging 15 to 22 million barrels a day against about 20 million before the conflict, and argued that Tehran was seeking a deal because it was feeling the pinch of the US blockade on its oil.
Trump has rejected Iran's recent proposals for reopening the strait. On Saturday he dismissed Tehran's latest offer as "unacceptable", while a US official told CNN that sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds were possible only if Tehran showed "concrete progress" on the nuclear issue.
Tehran pushes back
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Tuesday that if Iran's security was not ensured, "no infrastructure will be safe", linking regional security to the movement of oil. He dismissed Trump's remarks as a repetition of earlier claims "known to everyone".
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, said Tehran had held further indirect talks with Washington through Qatari mediators in New York and was awaiting an official US response.
Trump's claims about record oil shipments could not be independently verified.
Sources: Trump says Iran will "give up", claims US took record oil out of Strait of Hormuz — The Tribune (ANI); Trump rejects Iran's peace offer claiming 'record oil shipments' — The Times
"They will give up... We took more oil out of the Hormuz Strait over the last couple days than at any point in history," Trump told reporters at the White House, speaking after a luncheon with leading technology executives where a voluntary AI safety accord was signed.
Administration's case
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that oil shipments through the strait had reached pre-war levels, averaging 15 to 22 million barrels a day against about 20 million before the conflict, and argued that Tehran was seeking a deal because it was feeling the pinch of the US blockade on its oil.
Trump has rejected Iran's recent proposals for reopening the strait. On Saturday he dismissed Tehran's latest offer as "unacceptable", while a US official told CNN that sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds were possible only if Tehran showed "concrete progress" on the nuclear issue.
Tehran pushes back
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Tuesday that if Iran's security was not ensured, "no infrastructure will be safe", linking regional security to the movement of oil. He dismissed Trump's remarks as a repetition of earlier claims "known to everyone".
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, said Tehran had held further indirect talks with Washington through Qatari mediators in New York and was awaiting an official US response.
Trump's claims about record oil shipments could not be independently verified.
Sources: Trump says Iran will "give up", claims US took record oil out of Strait of Hormuz — The Tribune (ANI); Trump rejects Iran's peace offer claiming 'record oil shipments' — The Times
