Original Source
Elliott Abrams: US No Longer Needs Middle East Oil
US Stance on Middle Eastern Oil
Elliott Abrams, former US Special Representative for Iran under President Donald Trump, asserted that the United States no longer needs Middle Eastern oil. He emphasized that the U.S. is an energy-independent nation, producing and exporting significant amounts of petroleum and natural gas. Abrams pointed out that countries like Japan, Australia (receiving about a third of its oil imports from the region), China, and South Korea are the ones who depend on oil from the Middle East.
Questioning Responsibility for Strait of Hormuz Security
Abrams questioned the fairness of the United States being solely responsible for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open when Iran attempts to close it, especially without assistance from the countries that primarily rely on that oil. He argued that Iran is being significantly weakened militarily, economically, and politically, and that with every passing day and every new target hit, Iran emerges weaker. Abrams suggested negotiating a ceasefire where Iran stops firing at its neighboring Arab countries, and the U.S. and Israel stop targeting Iran. He noted that Iran would find it easy to reiterate its lie about not building a nuclear weapon.
*Source: YouTube: ABC Australia (2026-03-18)*
