Trump calls Iran the worst state sponsor of terrorism
US President Donald Trump said Iran is the "worst state sponsor of terrorism" and that preventing it from acquiring a nuclear weapon is a priority for Washington, even if oil prices rise. He described higher oil prices as a "cheap price" for preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and said oil volumes passing through the Strait of Hormuz had reached unprecedented levels. CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper, speaking during an aerial tour over the strait, said the main transit routes remain completely free of Iranian naval mines and that the US military has helped facilitate the export of more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since the summer.
Why it matters: The statements bear on energy security and the risk that military escalation between Washington and Tehran disrupts shipping and global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.