- US removed millions of barrels of Iranian oil nightly to prevent price spikes
- Trump claimed US targeted 22 oil ships, weakening Iran's radar and transport
- Operation details were kept secret to maintain effectiveness, Trump said
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that American efforts resulted in millions of barrels of Iranian oil being discreetly taken out from the nation, thereby preventing a sharp increase in oil prices worldwide
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said that throughout the battle with Iran, the United States has been removing "millions of barrels" of oil from circulation every night. He added that the operation had not yet been made public.
"Millions of barrels of oil have been extracted by us. Nobody is aware of it," Trump said. "We've been taking out millions of barrels of oil, millions of barrels every night," he added.
According to Trump, US forces recently targeted 22 oil-transporting ships, claiming that Iranian radar capabilities had been significantly weakened and that the ships were running without lights.
"We took out the other night 22 ships late at night with no lights because they don't have any radar," Trump stated. "Because we blasted the crap out of it."
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The president said that by taking these steps, oil prices were prevented from rising significantly throughout the conflict. Oil costs $85 a barrel because of this," Trump stated. "Millions of barrels of oil have come out, and that's why it's at $85, $90 a barrel instead of $250."
Trump said that he had avoided talking about the operation in public because he did not want to compromise its efficacy. "For me, it was really difficult," he remarked. "I really wanted to say it, but I didn't want to ruin it." "Now that they figured it out, I can tell you."
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