President Trump told Pennsylvania workers on Tuesday that he crushed Iran militarily and oil prices are plummeting as he works to reach a “fair” deal to prevent Tehran from getting a nuclear weapon.
Mr. Trump boasted about progress while U.S. and Iranian negotiators entered second-stage talks to end the war in the Middle East.
“The Iran economy has been crushed, and their defense industrial base has been damaged so severely that it will take them many years to rebuild,” Mr. Trump said in Reading, Pennsylvania. “Now we’re trying to work out a deal that’s fair.”
The U.S. and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on Feb. 28 to prevent Tehran from gaining a nuclear weapon and rein in its support for terror proxies in the Middle East.
Iran retaliated with strikes on Persian Gulf nations and by closing the Strait of Hormuz, causing energy shortfalls and higher oil prices.
The U.S. and Iran recently signed a memorandum of understanding to end the fighting and enter 60 days of talks about ways to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb.
The president said the economy will soar again because of the recent deal. Mr. Trump said 19 million barrels of oil have moved through the Strait of Hormuz.
The president characterized it as a record, though the U.S. Energy Information Administration said oil flows averaged 20 million barrels per day in recent years.
Oil prices dropped after the first-stage deal, settling at about $75 per barrel compared to more than $100 at the height of the war.
Gas prices in the U.S. continue to fall, with drivers paying an average of $3.93 per gallon on Tuesday, down from more than $4 a week ago.
