United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday that “stopping an evil empire Iran” from getting nuclear weapons was of “greater interest and importance” to him than stopping the rise of global oil prices.

The US is the largest oil producer in the world and “makes a lot of money” when oil prices increase, Trump said on social media.

“But, of far greater interest and importance to me, as president, is stopping an evil empire, Iran, from having nuclear weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the world,” he added. “I won’t ever let that happen!”

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Here are more top updates from the conflict in West Asia:

  • Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to pressure Tehran’s opponents, Al Jazeera reported. About 20% of global oil passes through the maritime chokepoint. He said that Iran believes in friendship with its neighbours and reiterated that it was only targeting the US bases. All US bases in the region should be immediately closed, he was quoted as having added.
  • The United Nations refugee agency on Thursday said that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran since the conflict in West Asia began. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees warned that the number is likely to rise “as hostilities persist, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs”.
  • The conflict has triggered the “largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market”, AFP quoted the International Energy Agency as saying on Thursday. Oil producers in the Gulf have cut production by at least 10 million barrels per day, of while eight million barrels were crude oil and the rest related to petroleum product. The reduction is because of disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz.
  • One Indian member of the crew on board a US-owned crude oil tanker was killed on Wednesday, the Indian embassy in Iraq said. The vessel named Safesea Vishnu was sailing under the Marshall Islands flag and was attacked near Iraqi port city of Basra, the diplomatic mission said. Fifteen other Indians on board the ship have been evacuated.
  • Iran on Thursday launched fresh attacks against energy targets in the Gulf region, a day after it warned that it could wage a long war that could “destroy” the global economy, AFP reported.
  • In neighbouring Iraq, an attack on two oil tankers killed one crew member. Thirty-eight persons were rescued. The attack forced Iraq to halt operations at all its oil terminals, even as commercial ports remained functional, AP reported.
  • US President Donald Trump maintained on Wednesday night that Iran was “pretty much at the end of the line”, but said that this did not mean that “we’re going to end it immediately”.
  • After the attack on two oil tankers, an employee at Iraq’s Basra oil terminal told AFP that it was unclear whether it “was a drone attack or explosive-laden boats”. Farhan Al-Fartousi, director general of Iraq’s General Company for Ports, said that a search was underway for those missing after the attack.
  • Iran on Wednesday attacked a Thai-flagged cargo ship bound for the Indian port of Kandla, after which New Delhi said that commercial shipping should not be targeted and civilian crew members should not be endangered. The ship’s operator Precious Shipping said that the vessel, Mayuree Naree, was hit by “two projectiles of unknown origin”. Later, Iran confirmed that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at the ship.
  • Over a week after Trump said that the US would ensure “the free flow of energy to the world”, only two vessels not linked to Iran or Russia have traversed the Strait of Hormuz, The Guardian reported on Tuesday, citing maritime records. One of them, a Chinese-made vessel sailing under a Liberian flag, reportedly made its way to Mumbai. Iran has effectively shut the strait for most international cargo ships since the conflict began on February 28. Apart from these two vessels, only eight other ships appeared to have entered or exited the Gulf through the strait, all of which were believed to be linked either to Iran or Russia, The Guardian reported.
  • Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on social media that the only way to end the conflict was through three conditions – “recognising Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression”. Pezeshkian said he held discussions with leaders of Russia and Pakistan, during which he “reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace in the region”. However, he said that the conflict had been “ignited by the Zionist [Israeli] regime and US”.
  • The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday adopted a draft resolution condemning Iran’s attacks on Gulf countries and Jordan, and called on Tehran to stop hostilities immediately, Al Jazeera reported. The resolution was sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council and cosponsored by as many as 135 other UN member states, including India. Thirteen of the UNSC’s 15 members voted in favour of the draft, while there were two abstentions, according to Al Jazeera. No country voted against the resolution.
  • Lebanon on Wednesday said that 634 persons have been killed in the country in the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, AFP reported. Over 8,00,000 people have been displaced, Health Minister Rakan Nassereddin.

The conflict

The conflict in West Asia began on February 28 after Israel and the United States launched a joint operation to “degrade the capabilities” of the Iranian government.

Tehran retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region, and targeting major cities in other Gulf countries and some ships.

The joint attacks by Israel and the US on Iran came amid tensions between the three countries over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance.

Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.