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President Donald Trump said connected Saturday (March 7, 2026) that it was inconsequential if Russia has provided Iran with accusation to assistance Tehran people U.S. subject unit and assets successful West Asia arsenic the week-old warfare rages.
The President dismissed the import of specified information-sharing aft helium attended the dignified transportation for six Army reservists who were killed successful a drone onslaught successful Kuwait the time aft the U.S. and Israel launched a warfare connected Iran that has unsettled the planetary economy.
Follow Israel-Iran warfare LIVE updates connected March 8
Mr. Trump stopped abbreviated of confirming reports by The Associated Press and different quality outlets that U.S. quality officials judge Russia has provided Iran with specified targeting information. But if Moscow is passing connected specified details, helium said Iran was getting small retired of it.
"If you instrumentality a look astatine what has happened to Iran successful the past week, if they are getting information, it is not helping them much," Mr. Trump told reporters connected Air Force One arsenic helium flew to Miami, wherever helium is spending the remainder of the weekend.
The President besides waved disconnected a question astir however Russia assisting Iran successful specified a mode mightiness impact his presumption of the U.S.-Russia relationship.
"They would accidental we bash it against them," Mr. Trump responded. "Wouldn't they accidental that we bash it against them?" Ukraine, successful the 4 years since it was invaded by Russia, has received U.S. quality to assistance support against incoming missiles from Russia arsenic good arsenic to assistance Kyiv deed definite Russian targets.
Downplaying the value of Russia handing disconnected battlespace quality to Iran came aft the U.S. Treasury Department announced earlier this week that it was temporarily allowing India to support buying crude lipid and petroleum products from Russia for a month, until April 4.
The medication determination to assistance the world's most-populous state a impermanent exemption faced bipartisan blowback. Critics complaint that Mr. Trump was giving Russia a interruption that volition supply Moscow with badly-needed gross arsenic it looks to support backing its warfare machine.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., condemned the move, saying successful a station connected X that "weakness towards Russia is appalling".
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., successful his ain X station directed astatine Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, besides decried the administration's decision.
"Reverse your determination to assistance lipid sanctions connected Russia. It is traitorous behaviour for you to assistance Russia," Mr. Lieu said. "Meanwhile, Russia is assisting Iran successful targeting American troops."
Mr. Trump has decided to springiness India leeway connected lipid purchases from Russia arsenic planetary lipid prices surge and investors crossed sectors interest astir however agelong the Iran warfare volition last.
The waiver for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's authorities followed Mr. Trump announcing weeks agone that helium was cutting tariffs connected India aft their officials agreed to trim its reliance connected inexpensive Russian crude.
India has taken vantage of reduced Russian lipid prices arsenic overmuch of the satellite has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 penetration of Ukraine.
The terms of lipid has surged higher and shows nary signs of halting a week into a warfare that the U.S. and Israel launched and has widened done West Asia arsenic Tehran strikes back. Ships that transportation astir 20 cardinal barrels of lipid a time are incapable to safely walk done the Strait of Hormuz, the constrictive rima of the Persian Gulf that is bordered connected its northbound broadside by Iran.
The shipping disruption and harm to cardinal West Asia lipid and state facilities has interrupted supplies from immoderate of the world's largest lipid producers.
Asked whether helium was consenting to instrumentality different steps to easiness lipid prices, Mr. Trump said that "if determination were some, I would bash it, conscionable to instrumentality a small of the unit off".
He appeared connected Saturday (March 7) to question off, astatine slightest for now, the anticipation of tapping the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, saying the U.S. has a "lot of oil".
The reserve — a proviso of lipid that the U.S. authorities tin pat successful lawsuit of emergencies — held much than 415 cardinal barrels arsenic of the extremity of past month, up from astir 395 cardinal barrels astatine this clip successful 2025. In total, erstwhile full, the SPR tin clasp much than 700 cardinal barrels.
"We person got a batch of oil. Our state has a tremendous amount," Mr. Trump said. "There is simply a batch of lipid retired there. That volition get healed precise quickly."
