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Oil Prices Reach $120 per Barrel; Trump Rejects Iran's Hormuz Proposal, Reviews Germany Troops

President Donald Trump rejected Iran's offer to open the Strait of Hormuz, citing its refusal to abandon nuclear pursuits, while threatening to reduce U.S. troops in Germany after criticism from Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Oil prices surged to $120 per barrel amid the ongoing blockade, boosting BP profits and prompting fuel rationing in Iran.

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63 sources·Apr 29, 7:30 AM(6 days ago)·4m read
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Oil Prices Reach $120 per Barrel; Trump Rejects Iran's Hormuz Proposal, Reviews Germany Troopsrte.ie
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Oil prices reached $120 per barrel on April 29, 2026, according to the Financial Times, marking the highest level since the start of the U.S.-Iran conflict and since June 2022, as Middle East energy supplies remained disrupted. President Donald Trump rejected Iran's latest proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz, stating in an Oval Office remark that the proposal did not include Iran giving up its nuclear program.

Post via X — linked by one of this story's sources.

" He posted on Truth Social that day, "Iran can't get their act together and doesn't know how to sign a non-nuclear deal," and warned, "Iran better get smart soon," accompanying the post with an AI-generated image of himself with a rifle in front of an Iranian site under strikes, captioned "No more Mr.

Separately, viral LEGO-style AI videos mocking Trump over the Iran conflict have garnered millions of views on social media, as reported by France 24, which interviewed the Tehran-based content creator.

Trump stated that the United States is "studying and reviewing possible reduction of troops in Germany," according to a post from @DeItaone and confirmed in statements to CBS News and The Washington Times. This review follows a dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who criticized the U.S. approach to the Iran conflict, as noted in The Times and Forbes.

The U.S. government has not specified the number of troops under consideration for reduction or a timeline for the review.

Trump reported having a "very good conversation" on April 29, 2026, with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Iran and Ukraine, according to a post from @sentdefender. During the call, Putin expressed interest in assisting with Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Trump said.

The UN nuclear chief confirmed that Russia taking highly enriched uranium from Iran is "under discussion," as reported by The Hill. Putin urged the U.S. to maintain the ceasefire and allow negotiations, warning of "extremely dire consequences for America" if fighting resumes, according to GB News.

The Kremlin has not issued a public statement on the call as of April 29, 2026.

Trump said, "All Iran has to do is cry uncle and say we give up," according to a post from @disclosetv. He stated that Iran has roughly 20% of its missile production facilities remaining, and the rest could be destroyed quickly without a deal, as posted by @Osinttechnical.

The U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could last months, Trump said, according to AFP, contributing to the oil price spike. Plans for a prolonged blockade were directed by Trump to advisers, as reported by unnamed sources in the Wall Street Journal, though the Journal did not name the sources.

Unattributed sources told GB News that the Pentagon has drawn up plans to hit Iran's key infrastructure and that Trump is planning new strikes to address the Hormuz impasse. No publicly released Pentagon statement has confirmed these plans as of April 29, 2026.

Scott Bessent, a Trump adviser, stated that Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export terminal, is nearing storage capacity, which will force reduced oil production and result in an additional $170 million per day in lost revenue for Iran, according to a source via GB News.

Bessent added that the blockade is causing permanent damage to Iran's oil infrastructure. Crude oil prices hit a fresh high since the war began, according to The New York Times, with U.S. gas prices climbing further due to the conflict's effects. A lull in fighting has helped prevent even higher spikes, according to The Dispatch.

Trump described the United Arab Emirates' plan to exit OPEC as "great" and said it could help calm the volatile oil market, according to the Associated Press. The UAE will end its 59-year membership in OPEC on May 1, 2026, as announced in Wired and NPR.

Aid organizations called for a humanitarian corridor through the Strait of Hormuz on April 29, 2026, citing rocketing transportation costs and disruptions to food, fuel, and medicine deliveries for millions, according to The Guardian. Iran's government announced fuel rationing, and the rial fell to 1.8 million per dollar, as reported by ZeroHedge.

Trump criticized NATO allies for not sending navies to open the Strait of Hormuz. French television analyzed the extent of France's military involvement in the conflict, according to France 24_en. Senator Mike Rounds stated on CNBC that Iran had "full intent to create chaos in the Middle East and to hold all of their neighbors hostage," as posted by @SquawkCNBC.

The Iran conflict marks the first time in Trump's presidency, in either term, that he is responsible for a major economic downturn, according to a post from political analyst Ian Bremmer. Trump and Putin discussed Iran and Ukraine, with U.S. energy exports increasing, according to SCMPNews.

In unrelated news, two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, London, on April 29, 2026, in an incident declared a terror act by police, according to the BBC and AP News. Police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder, as reported by AP News.

Journalist and broadcaster Dan Kleeman stated that the rise in antisemitism in recent years is "absurd" following the attack, according to Sky News.

The government of Sri Lanka lost more than $3 million in two recent cybersecurity incidents, including $2.5 million stolen from its finance ministry, according to TechCrunch.

The Trump administration held talks with leading energy industry figures, including Chevron representatives, on April 28, 2026, to discuss limiting impacts on American consumers from the blockade, according to Politico and GB News.

Key Facts

Oil prices surged to $120 per barrel
Brent crude hit a new high since the Iran war began and the highest since June 2022, driven by the U.S. blockade disrupting Middle East supplies.
Trump eyes troop reduction in Germany
Following criticism from Chancellor Merz on the Iran war, Trump stated the U.S. is reviewing possible cuts to its military presence.
Iran faces economic strain from blockade
Iran loses $170 million daily, with Kharg Island nearing capacity, leading to fuel rationing and currency collapse to 1.8 million rial per dollar.
BP profits doubled amid war
Boosted by higher oil prices from the Iran conflict, with exceptional oil trading performance reported.
UAE exits OPEC
Ending 59-year membership on May 1, 2026, praised by Trump as potentially calming volatile markets.

Story Timeline

6 events
  1. 2026-05-01

    President Trump rejected Iran's proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz and discussed troop reductions in Germany.

    5 sourcesCBSNews · Forbes · Independent · Semafor
  2. 2026-05-01

    Trump and Putin held phone call on Iran and Ukraine, with Putin interested in Iran's uranium stockpile.

    3 sourcessentdefender · SCMPNews · GB News
  3. 2026-05-01

    Oil prices reached $120 per barrel amid blockade effects.

    4 sourcesGB News · ZeroHedge · The New York Times · Semafor
  4. 2026-05-01

    Two Jewish men stabbed in Golders Green, London, declared terrorism; suspect arrested.

    3 sourcesBBCBreaking · AP News · SkyNews
  5. 2026-04-30

    Trump administration talked with energy industry on limiting blockade impacts on U.S. consumers.

    1 sourceGB News
  6. 2026-04-29

    Aid organizations called for humanitarian corridor through Strait of Hormuz.

    1 sourceThe Guardian

Potential Impact

  1. 01

    Boosted profits for oil companies like BP from elevated prices.

  2. 02

    Higher U.S. gas prices due to disrupted Middle East energy supplies.

  3. 03

    Permanent damage to Iran's oil infrastructure, forcing production cuts.

  4. 04

    Delayed aid deliveries to millions, prompting calls for humanitarian corridor.

  5. 05

    Strained NATO relations, with potential U.S. troop reductions in Germany.

Transparency Panel

Sources cross-referenced63
Framing risk55/100 (moderate)
Confidence score65%
Synthesized bySubstrate AI
Word count939 words
PublishedApr 29, 2026, 7:30 AM
Bias signals removed3 across 3 outlets
Signal Breakdown
Loaded 3

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