On the afternoon of January 14 local time, U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House about the situation in Iran, stated, "We have to see how things develop." He concurrently noted that the U.S. government had received "a very positive statement from Iran." However, he did not rule out the possibility of U.S. military action. Analysis suggests that Trump's remarks "seem intended to ease concerns that the situation could escalate into a broader regional conflict."
Influenced by the above news, WTI crude oil futures abruptly plummeted, falling 3% and approaching $59 per barrel. Oil prices had still closed up over 1% on Wednesday but suddenly turned lower in after-hours trading, as the market interpreted Trump's statement as a signal that a military strike may not be imminent in the short term.
Iran is an OPEC member and a significant crude oil producer. Traders are closely monitoring whether social unrest within Iran could disrupt crude supplies.
Recently, protests have occurred in multiple locations across Iran, accompanied by riots that have resulted in casualties. In recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military intervention in the Iranian situation.
On January 14 local time, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated that Iran is currently on its highest level of combat readiness and that its missile stockpile has increased since 2025. Facilities damaged during the intense conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025 have been repaired, and the output level of the IRGC Aerospace Force in multiple fields has surpassed the level of June last year.
On the afternoon of January 14 local time, Iranian Foreign Ministry and security department officials held an internal press briefing. Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani accused recent unrest in Iran of being caused by "terrorist acts" by the U.S. and Israel, emphasizing that the current environment is not conducive to negotiations with the U.S. Iranian officials also stated that they are closely monitoring the deployment dynamics of U.S. forces at regional bases.
On January 14 Eastern Time, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated in an interview that the situation in the country is fully under control and has now returned to calm. He claimed that "certain elements" attempted to cause more deaths during the unrest, calling this an Israeli "conspiracy."
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