Oil Edges Higher As Trump Threatens Iran ‘Could Be Taken Out In One Night’

• In response to a question about whether the U.S. was looking to escalate the war with Iran or wind it down, Trump declined to provide a clear direction.
• However, another report from Wall Street Journal on Monday that cited multiple U.S. officials said that the country’s military was preparing for potential strikes on Iran’s energy assets.
• Oil prices and U.S. stocks climbed higher after the president’s remarks.

Oil prices edged higher on Monday, with crude oil prices surging over $112 a barrel, after President Donald Trump said on Monday that the U.S. military could take down Iran in a single night.

In a press conference at the White House Briefing Room, the president said, “The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” even as the war entered its 38th day.

The comments follow Trump’s earlier vow to enforce a Tuesday night deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its energy and other infrastructure.

Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets climbed marginally higher after the president’s remarks.

War To Escalate Or Not?

In response to a question about whether the U.S. was looking to escalate the war with Iran or wind it down, Trump said, “I can’t tell you. I don’t know.”

“It depends what they do,” he added, reiterating that Iran had until Tuesday to make a move. Earlier, reports said that Iran had rejected ​a U.S.-proposed ceasefire, conveyed via Pakistan, while emphasizing ⁠the need for a permanent end ​to the war.

However, another report from Wall Street Journal on Monday that cited multiple U.S. officials said that the country’s military was preparing for potential strikes on Iran’s energy assets. Military planners were in the process of pulling out existing lists of potential targets in Iran if Trump were to launch an attack on the country’s energy infrastructure, as per the report.

Market Reaction

Oil prices climbed on Trump’s remarks. WTI crude futures expiring in May 2026 were up nearly 1% at the time of writing, trading at $112.57 per barrel, and ICE Brent Crude futures expiring in June 2026 were up 0.8%, trading around $109.88 per barrel.

The United States Oil Fund ETF (USO) was up about 1.28%.

Meanwhile, U.S. stocks also edged marginally higher. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 index, was up 0.32% at the time of writing, the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) climbed 0.5%, and the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) was up 0.19%.

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around the S&P 500 ETF was in the ‘extremely bearish’ territory.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.