US President Donald Trump: Iran ceasefire proposal ‘significant’ but ‘not good enough’
US President Donald Trump said that the latest proposal for a US ceasefire with Iran is “not good enough,” ahead of his deadline for Iran to either reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face major attacks on its civilian infrastructure, CNBC reported on Monday.
When asked at a press conference at the White House whether his war on Iran is winding down or ramping up and Trump responded: “I can’t tell you.”
Trump also said Iran “can be taken out in one night, and that might be tomorrow night”, while reiterating to attack Iran’s energy and transportation infrastructure Tuesday at 8 PM Eastern Time (ET) if the Strait is not reopened.
“I’m not worried about it,” the US President said when asked about committing possible war crimes. “You know what’s a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon.”
Iran rejected the proposal and called for a permanent end to the war, according to Iranian state-run media.
The spokesperson for Iran’s top joint military command has called Trump’s threats “delusional,” adding that the threats will not make up for the “disgrace and humiliation” of the US in the region.
Market reaction
At the time of press, the WTI price is down 0.21% on the day at $103.65.
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.
Author
Lallalit Srijandorn
FXStreet
Lallalit Srijandorn is a Parisian at heart. She has lived in France since 2019 and now becomes a digital entrepreneur based in Paris and Bangkok.
