mustafaU As President Donald Trump muses about seizing control of Iran’s oil sector, one potential upside is looming in his thinking: expanding US global energy dominance to gain trade leverage against China, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News. Trump repeatedly discussed the prospect on Monday, casting it as a boon for the US even as he acknowledged the political risks of further ...
mustafaU As President Donald Trump muses about seizing control of Iran’s oil sector, one potential upside is looming in his thinking: expanding US global energy dominance to gain trade leverage against China, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News. Trump repeatedly discussed the prospect on Monday, casting it as a boon for the US even as he acknowledged the political risks of further entangling the US in the Middle East, the report said. “If I had my choice, what would I like to do? Take the oil, because it’s there for the taking. There’s not a thing they can do about it,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I’d take the oil, I’d keep the oil. I would make plenty of money.” The U.S. ousted Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and struck a deal with the remaining government to tap the country’s crude reserves. But the focus on Iranian crude is also fueled by several factors, including Trump’s belief that bringing Tehran’s energy flows under the US sphere could bolster his bargaining power with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, according to the people, who asked not to be named to describe his thinking. Trump administration officials have discussed what they see as Beijing’s diminished leverage as a result of U.S. operations in both Venezuela and the Middle East, according to one of the people. China is a major crude importer, and the Iran war’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has constrained supplies, spiking oil and gas prices. A White House official said Trump likes the idea of taking Iran’s oil but cautioned there are no formal plans to do so and it’s not part of the current program, the report added. Trump did not list control over Tehran’s energy facilities among the conditions for a potential deal to end hostilities ahead of his Tuesday deadline for Iran. Trump’s comments on Monday came ahead of his May 14-15 visit to Beijing for a summit with Xi, a key test...
Anna Edwards, Guy Johnson and Paul Dobson break down today's key themes for analysts and investors on "Bloomberg: The Opening Trade." (Source: Bloomberg)
Anna Edwards, Guy Johnson and Paul Dobson break down today's key themes for analysts and investors on "Bloomberg: The Opening Trade." (Source: Bloomberg)