In a post on Truth Social on April 11, Trump claimed massive numbers of tankers are heading to the US to load up with what he described as the best and “sweetest” oil.
“Massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers, some of the largest anywhere in the world, are heading right now to the United States to load up with the best and ‘sweetest’ oil (and gas!) anywhere in the world,” Trump said.
“We have more oil than the next two largest oil economies combined and higher quality. We are waiting for you. Quick turnaround!”
Trump Says Empty Oil Tankers Heading To U.S. To Load Up With Oil, Gas
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that the country’s total petroleum liquids production will reach around 22 million barrels per day in 2026.
This production places the US on a par with, or even slightly ahead of, the combined output of Russia and Saudi Arabia.
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The US President has repeatedly framed energy as a strategic and economic tool during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Recently, he criticized the West Asian country for restricting tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that oil would continue to flow “with or without” Tehran’s cooperation.
Trump’s post came as senior U.S. and Iranian officials were meeting on Saturday in Islamabad with Pakistani intermediaries as Tehran laid down the red lines that it said Washington must accept before face-to-face talks could take place to end their six-week-old war.
The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf and comprising 71 members, including the country’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi, landed in the Pakistani capital early in the day.
The US delegation, on the other hand, included Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who arrived at noon. The American delegation is being led by US Vice President JD Vance.
Trump said earlier this week that Iran should not charge fees on tankers passing through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history.
Oil prices tumbled on Wednesday, April 8, and global stock markets rallied after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire.
Investors welcomed the news that Donald Trump had held off on his threat to bomb Iran into “the stone ages”, while Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be allowed for the next two weeks under the management of Iran’s military.
Also Read: Trump Sends More Troops and Jets to Middle East Despite Iran Ceasefire
Trump Waives US Shipping Law for Oil and Gas
The White House announced in March that Donald Trump was seeking to ease movement for foreign tankers within the United States by temporarily allowing foreign-flagged ships carrying oil and gas to travel between US ports.
The president sought to strike a delicate balance by mitigating rising oil prices while continuing US-Israel war efforts against Iran.
On March 18, Trump issued a 60-day waiver to the Jones Act, a law enacted in 1920 to protect the US shipping industry. The law prohibits foreign-flagged oil- and gas-carrying ships from operating between US ports.
In a statement, the White House said the waiver marked “another step to mitigate short-term disruptions in oil markets as the US military continues to meet the objectives of Operation Epic Fury.”
