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By Joshua Sammons
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Welcome back to The Conversation, Newsweek’s weekly roundup of reader comments and opinions. This week, we return to the conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel—a story that continues to dominate the headlines.
As the conflict entered its second week, ripple effects have begun to take hold across the world. Countries are scrambling with the rise in oil prices resulting from President Donald Trump and Israel’s attacks on Iran with greater fears that these will rise further.
Iran pledged to stop all oil from heading out of the region and maintains a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz which is a critical waterway through which around a fifth of the world's oil passes.
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Trump’s political campaign placed cheap energy and affordability at the center of its economic agenda. But his war has injected geopolitical risk straight into oil prices, and Americans are now paying the cost at the pump.
Newsweek readers have been reacting to the latest developments and the effects it is having on not just the United States but the rest of the world. Here is what they had to say:
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Reacting to the Latest Conflict with Iran
Original Article: Iran War: Strikes Pound Beirut, Tehran as Gulf Attacks Intensify
Background: A wave of strikes across Beirut, Tehran, and the Persian Gulf underscored the accelerating pace of the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran as the conflict nears the two-week mark.
Original Comment: “Bad news: Iran continues to hit oil tankers.
Good news: the International Energy Agency is releasing 400 million barrels from their strategic oil reserves.
Bad news: at the rate necessary to make up for the oil that's not being allowed to pass through the straight, that will last less than 20 days.” Clowns Jokers
Editor’s Note: In response to this article, this reader argues that even a massive release from global oil reserves may offer only limited relief if tanker attacks continue. The comment captures wider fears that disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz could quickly tighten supply and drive prices higher.
Reactions to Oil Prices Spiking
Original Article: Iran War: US Refueling Aircraft Lost During Operation
Background: Oil prices spiked on Thursday as concerns over the U.S.-Israel war against Iran intensified. It came as Iran attacked two tankers near the Iraqi coast and forced the country to halt all of its oil terminals.
**Original Comment: “**The punishment Iran has absorbed so far and the ease with which can shut down the oil flow makes the deeper thinkers appreciate the importance of the dealing with them now before they got even stronger or - god forbid - acquired nuclear weapons.” Spectator
Editor’s Note: This reader argues that Iran’s ability to disrupt oil flows highlights the strategic risks the country poses to global energy supplies.
Reacting to Trump Speaking out on Hormuz Opening
Original Article: Donald Trump to Newsweek on Hormuz Opening: ‘Working Out Very Well’
Background: President Trump responded to a question from Newsweek earlier this week about the status of the Strait of Hormuz.
Original Comment: “Waging war with no fixed purpose means victory can be declared at any point. Donald Trump’s motives for launching Operation Epic Fury against Iran were incoherent at the start. They are no clearer now that he has declared it “very complete, pretty much”.
US and Israeli bombs have caused death and destruction, shaking but not toppling the government in Tehran. Among the targets was the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. He has been replaced by his son – an “unacceptable” candidate in the US president’s evaluation.
Trump has not quite declared “mission accomplished”. He says he has won, but also that he has more winning to do. This is the familiar stage of rhetorical climbdown, indicating dawning awareness that a problem is more complicated than the president initially thought. Complexity resists his whim. It bores him.
Iran turns out to be unlike Venezuela.
The White House seems not to have anticipated the predictable economic repercussions of war in the Middle East – soaring oil prices, falling stock markets, disrupted supply chains feeding inflation and choking growth.” Trickster
Editor’s Note: The commenter criticizes what they see as unclear objectives behind the U.S. campaign against Iran, arguing that the administration’s messaging around the conflict has been inconsistent. They also point to the wider economic consequences of the war, including rising oil prices and market uncertainty.
Reacting to Trump's Warning of Harsher Strikes on Iran
Original Article: Iran War: Trump Warns of Harsher Strikes After Mixed Signals on Conflict
Background: Earlier this week, Trump warned that Washington was prepared to unleash even harsher strikes if Tehran attempts to choke off the world’s energy supply.
Original Comment: “The same people who dismissed Biden’s $5 gas are the same ones harping over $3 gas.
With this price rise, we are getting something in return, we are ridding the world of a tyrannical regime who has killed or maimed tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people, and held many more hostage to their regime of terror.
I challenge any liberal moaning about today gas price to tell us all what we got in return for Joes $5 gas price.” TrumpOwnsLibs
Editor’s Note: This reader takes a different approach, arguing that rising gas prices are justified by the actions taken against Iran by Trump’s administration.
Reacting to Trump Releasing Oil Reserves
Original Article: Trump To Release Oil Reserves. Here’s What It Means For Your Gas Prices
Background: To try and stem a global oil rally that is driving up gas prices, the Trump administration is taking part in a record‑breaking, multinational release of oil from its strategic stockpiles.
Original Comment: “The reserve isn't magic.
It takes like 2 weeks for it to get to market and we can at most physically withdraw 4.4 million barrels a day.
So him releasing 172 million barrels takes about 40 days, so we'll see the end of those benefits in about 54 days, in the same time the U.S. would have used about 1080 MILLION barrels of oil.
So he's covering about 16% of our usage over the next 2 months.
It's barely a Band-Aid.” Cracked
Editor’s Note: This reader argues that the release of oil from strategic reserves offers only limited relief, covering a small portion of U.S. consumption and providing a short-term solution to rising gas prices.
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