Trump Trying to Provoke Conflict in Middle East to Prop Up US Oil Industry: Analyst
- Trump Trying to Provoke Conflict in Middle East to Prop Up US Oil Industry: Analyst
by https://www.presstv.com/
President Donald Trump is playing a dangerous game in the Middle East to save the US shale oil industry, which is under threat due to falling global oil prices, according to an American political commentator.
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J. Michael Springmann, a Washington-based author and former US diplomat in Saudi Arabia, told Press TV in an interview on Monday that the global oil price needs to be at about $40 a barrel for US shale oil producers to be economical.
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He suggested that Trump is trying to provoke a conflict in the Middle East possibly with Iran in order to boost oil prices which have collapsed due to the global coronavirus crisis. Iran’s president has told the Qatari emir that Tehran won’t initiate any conflict in the region despite the US provocative moves.
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“The Islamic Republic of Iran is closely watching and following the activity and movements of Americans, but will never be the initiator of any tension and conflict in the region,” President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday. He made the remarks in a phone conversation with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Qatari emir, in turn, underlined the need for all countries to prevent escalation of tensions in the region.
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During the phone call, the two sides also stressed that all countries must cooperate and strive to ensure the stability and security of the region. The phone conversation came after US President Donald Trump claimed that he had instructed the US Navy to destroy Iranian boats “if they harass” American ships in the Persian Gulf.
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“I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea,” Trump wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
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