President Trump has declared that oil prices will fall quickly following Operation Epic Fury, even as crude surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He vowed that prices would fall immediately after “the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat,” and has urged oil companies to keep sending their tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as traffic has nearly halted over security concerns.
"Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace," President Trump wrote on Truth Social, Sunday. "Only Fools Would Think Differently!"
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump responds to the oil prices spiking 15%+ today, crossing $100 per barrel
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 8, 2026
“Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace,”… pic.twitter.com/Mpa2MvUJPp
The president later tried to pressure oil companies that had halted tanker shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, telling Fox News: “These ships should go through the Strait of Hormuz and show some GUTS. There’s nothing to be afraid of… [Iran] has no Navy, we sunk all their ships.”
Yet tanker traffic through the Strait has fallen by more than 90 percent.
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump is demanding oil tankers SHOW SOME GUTS and go through the Strait of Hormuz
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 9, 2026
“These ships should go through the Strait of Hormuz and show some GUTS, there's nothing to be afraid of! [Iran] has no Navy, we sunk all their ships!”pic.twitter.com/QsSZ99aNJW
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright added Sunday that “energy will flow soon” through the Strait of Hormuz, as he blamed the price surge on “the unknown that this could be some long, you know, drawn-out crisis. But it won’t be.”
It is unclear when Operation Epic Fury is expected to conclude, although the president signaled last week that the conflict could last weeks or even months.
Thankfully, President Trump’s push to revive domestic oil production and to position the United States as a leading exporter will provide some relief to both the domestic and global market, though not nearly enough to prevent prices from continuing to surge.