Iranian Oil Market Ignores Trump’s “Fake News”: Ghalibaf Signals Resilience Amid Tensions

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf stated on Friday that global oil prices are largely unaffected by US President Donald Trump’s alleged 10-day delay in attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure, highlighting the diminishing impact of social media claims.

Trump had claimed on Thursday that the delay was granted at Iran’s request to allow negotiations. However, the Wall Street Journal, citing mediators, reported that Iran did not request any pause and has yet to respond to the US 15-point plan aimed at ending the war.

According to mediators, Iranian officials told them that “they are interested in negotiations, but the country’s leadership is yet to weigh in and give a final decision.”

In a post on X, Ghalibaf criticized US social media tactics, stating, “They’ve spammed so much fake news trying to push energy prices down that the market’s just numb now. Keep going, nobody’s buying it anymore.” He further remarked, “Powerful? Maybe. But Smart? Not even close. Burned that fake news card way too early.”

Brent crude futures briefly fell from $101.50 to just over $98 following Trump’s posts but rebounded within minutes, trading recently above $103 per barrel. Analysts note that while individual posts from Trump no longer sway markets, broader geopolitical tensions—including Iran-US relations and global oil supply factors—continue to influence market sentiment.

Meanwhile, Washington’s diplomatic efforts appear stalled. Despite Trump’s claims of ongoing talks and Iran’s willingness to negotiate, Iranian officials insist that the United States, which initiated aggression on February 28, must take responsibility. A senior Iranian military figure mocked Washington, asking, “Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you negotiating with yourself?”