&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Next stop $140': Ghalibaf fires back at Trump’s oil 'explosion' claims, says 'no oil well has exploded'")
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament has directly pushed back against recent comments made by Donald Trump, rejecting claims that Iran’s oil infrastructure was at risk of imminent explosions. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissed the remarks as inaccurate and politically motivated, insisting that conditions on the ground contradict the warnings. “Three days have passed, and no oil well has exploded. We can extend this period to 30 days and even broadcast live footage of the wells.”
He further criticised the economic reasoning behind US policy guidance, arguing that sanctions-based strategies have backfired.
“These kinds of recommendations come from individuals who promote ideas like economic blockades—approaches that have only driven oil prices higher, even toward $140.” Ghalibaf added a broader critique of decision-making in Washington: “The issue is not just flawed ideas, but a flawed mindset.” The exchange comes amid a broader dispute over the US handling of Iranian oil exports. Washington recently moved to temporarily lift sanctions on an estimated 140 million barrels of Iranian crude already stored on tankers at sea.
US officials framed the move as a strategic tool. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration intended to use the Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down, while limiting authorization strictly to existing shipments and not allowing new production or purchases. Three days earlier, Trump claimed in a Fox News interview that Iran’s oil infrastructure was nearing failure due to storage pressures and blockade-related constraints. That timeframe has now passed without any reported incidents. Iranian oil officials, however, had already stated that both land and sea storage capacity remained sufficient, allowing continued management of exports and production despite sanctions pressure.
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