Donald Trump has issued a cryptic social media post as the fallout from the war in Iran continues.
“Keep the oil, anyone?” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social media app earlier today.
It is not immediately clear what the US President meant by the post or who it was directed at, but it comes following a number of statements made by Trump to allies, including ones urging them to “go get your own oil”
“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” he wrote this week. The UK was the only country he named in the post.
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the USA won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us.
“Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”
The White House referred Evening Standard back to Trump’s Truth Social post today when asked for further clarity on its meaning.
Today, reports from the Wall Street Journal in the US said Iran has told mediators it will not be meeting with US officials for talks in Islamabad, calling US demands unacceptable.
On Wednesday, Trump claimed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was seeking a ceasefire, which was later denied by Iran’s foreign ministry. The ministry said Washington was making “maximalist and irrational” demands.
Evening Standard has approached the White House for further comment.
Today, two officials told CBS News that an American fighter jet was shot down in Iran and one crew member was rescued.
This is a significant escalation in the conflict. What was reported to be a dual-manned F-15E was the first aircraft downed since the war began five weeks ago.
The pilot who ejected from the jet later recovered. A search for the second crew member continues.
A helicopter carrying the rescue pilot was hit by small arms fire, wounding crew members on board, further reports said.
Trump said in an address two days ago that the US has “beaten and completely decimated Iran” and was “going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast”.
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NBC News reported that Trump said in a phone call that the downing of the jet would not impact negotiations with Iran to end the war.