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The president Donald Trump published a message on his Truth Social platform this Monday in which he states that the actions of Iranian leadership have diverted hundreds of ships to U.S. ports to refuel with oil, and he celebrates this with an ironic "Thank you very much!"
"The Iranian leadership has pushed hundreds of ships toward the United States, primarily Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, to obtain their oil," wrote Trump, signing the message as "President DONALD J. TRUMP."
The context is the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis. Iran closed the strait on March 4 with mines, drones, and missiles, blocking the transit of approximately 20% of the world's oil, about 20-21 million barrels per day, according to the International Energy Agency.
Trump does not claim that Iran is buying oil directly from the United States. His interpretation is geopolitical: the chaos generated by the Iranian regime in global maritime routes would be redirecting global energy demand towards U.S. ports, which he presented as an economic benefit for the U.S.
US oil exports surged to 12.7 million barrels per day in the week of April 10, driven in part by extractions from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, compared to an average of 3.9 million barrels per day recorded in January 2026.
However, energy experts warn that the U.S. cannot replace the 20 million barrels per day that passed through Hormuz, as U.S. light crude is not directly interchangeable with the heavy crudes from the Persian Gulf.
The closure of the strait drove the price of Brent oil above 115 dollars per barrel and raised the price of gasoline in the U.S. to 4.10 dollars per gallon.
In response to the Iranian escalation, Trump ordered a naval blockade of Iran's ports on April 12 and 13, with over a dozen warships, 100 aircraft, and 10,000 personnel deployed.
Last Sunday, Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded and took control of the Iranian freighter M/V TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, marking the first physical seizure since the blockade was imposed. The USS Spruance destroyer intercepted the vessel and fired rounds from its MK 45 gun at the engine room to disable it prior to boarding.
In the 36 hours leading up to the seizure, 35 vessels changed their course due to Iranian attacks and the new closure of the strait, including five very large crude carriers, three Suezmax tankers, and one Aframax tanker.
The negotiations held in Islamabad failed on April 17 and 18, and this Monday Iran announced that it will not participate in new discussions for the time being with the U.S. The bilateral ceasefire ends on April 22, with the crisis far from resolved.
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