Trump says US may exit Iran war soon, threatens to quit Nato
IEA’s head says the main issue so far from Teheran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz is the lack of jet fuel and diesel
Add BT as a preferred source
[WASHINGTON, DC] Global oil supplies are expected to be hit twice as hard this month as in March, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday (Apr 1), underlining the urgent need to resolve the conflict over Iran that US President Donald Trump said could end soon.
While Trump signalled that he could wind down the war within weeks even without a deal, he also scaled up threats to pull the US out of the Nato defence alliance if European states did not help stop Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
“I was never swayed by Nato. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin knows that too, by the way,” Trump told Britain’s Daily Telegraph, saying he had moved beyond merely reconsidering US membership.
The remarks on the war underscored Washington’s shifting and at times contradictory statements about a conflict that has killed thousands, spread across the region, and caused unprecedented energy disruption.
“We’ll be leaving (the Iran conflict) very soon,” Trump told reporters, saying that could be “within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three.”
“Iran doesn’t have to make a deal, no,” he said, when asked if successful diplomacy was a prerequisite for the US to end what it calls “Operation Epic Fury”.
Navigate Asia in
a new global order
Get the insights delivered to your inbox.
IEA head Fatih Birol said that the main issue so far from Iran’s effective closure of the major global energy shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz, was the lack of jet fuel and diesel.
“We are seeing that in Asia, but soon, I think, in April or May, it would come to Europe,” Birol told a podcast with Nicolai Tangen, the head of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund. The loss of oil in April would be twice that lost in March, he added.
Businesses around the world have been hit by the conflict, with cosmetics and tea among the latest sectors to report pain.
SEE ALSO
The US had previously threatened to intensify operations if Teheran did not accept a 15-point US ceasefire framework demanding that Iran not pursue nuclear weapons or uranium enrichment and fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
The White House said that Trump would address the nation “to provide an important update on Iran” at 9pm EDT on Wednesday (9 am Singapore time on Thursday).
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Channel’s Hannity programme that there was potential for a “direct meeting at some point” and the US could “see the finish line”.
He added: “It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, but it is coming.” REUTERS
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
