CNN Anchor Presses Trump Energy Secretary on Oil Hitting ‘$200 a Barrel’ as Iran War Escalates

President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Energy Chris Wright would not rule out oil hitting $200 a barrel on Thursday amid the United States and Israel’s ongoing war with Iran.

“In this few weeks, the question is how hard is the pain and how much are people going to have to endure?” questioned CNN anchor Kate Bolduan during an interview with Wright. “Gas prices are going up, jet fuel prices are jumping, and CEOs are saying that ticket prices are also going to go up. Iran just said that the world should be ready for oil at $200 a barrel. You don’t agree with Iran on anything, but do you agree the people need to be prepared for that?”

Wright responded, “We’re going through short-term energy disruption for just huge long-term gain. You’re seeing Iran’s behavior. They’re attacking every country in the region.”

Bolduan pressed, “Could that in short-term mean $200 a barrel?”

“Um, I would say unlikely,” said Wright. “But we are focused on the military operation and solving a problem. I’m not gonna guess on short-term trading. That’s based on psychology more than flows of oil. The world is very well supplied with oil right now.”

He concluded, “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we’re by far and away the world’s largest oil producer, by far and away the world’s natural gas producer. Both of those are growing.”

Iran warned the world on Wednesday that it should prepare for oil prices to rise to $200 a barrel as a result of its ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.

That same day, the Trump administration announced it would be releasing 172 millions of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an attempt to keep prices down.

Watch above via CNN.

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