WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday called for the US and other oil-producing economies to pump more oil as crude prices remain volatile following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump urged stepped-up production as the White House sharpened its warnings to Iran against closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas shipping lane, in retaliation for the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear program.
“To the Department of Energy: DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!” Trump posted on social media according to AP. He added, “EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I´M WATCHING! YOU´RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON´T DO IT!”
Trump made his call hours before Iran launched attacks on US forces at Qatar´s Al Udeid Air Base, the country’s first act of direct retaliation against the US after Trump ordered strikes on Iran´s nuclear facilities.
Iran also targeted the Ain al-Assad base housing US troops in western Iraq, an Iraqi security official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
Al-Udeid Air Base, a sprawling facility that hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. military´s Central Command, was a major staging ground during the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The base houses some 8,000 US troops, down from about 10,000 at the height of those wars. The White House and Pentagon were closely monitoring the threats to the base in Qatar, according to a senior administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly. Qatar said there were no casualties at Al Udeid.
