It's 3:02 PM in New York, American markets are approaching their close in less than an hour, and oil traders still haven't found any respite. Read more: iran exposes criminal Read more: thirteen days transform Thirteen days after the start of this new Middle East conflict, Donald Trump and Iran's new supreme leader continue their macabre dance, keeping crude oil prices in a volatility that suits plenty of people — but certainly not American motorists.

Bloomberg confirms it bluntly: there has been "little relief for energy markets" despite the Trump administration's efforts to control oil prices. This bland phrase conceals a brutal reality: we're witnessing a game of poker where each side bets on fear to maximize their political and economic gains.

The Art of Economic Warfare

Let's start by dissecting what's really at play here. Trump, who promised to "bring down gas prices" during his campaign, finds himself facing a classic dilemma of energy geopolitics. On one side, he must reassure markets to avoid a price surge that would torpedo his economic record. On the other, he can't appear weak against Iran without losing his electoral base.

Iran's new supreme leader is playing a different but equally calculated tune. Freshly in power, he must prove his legitimacy to the regime's hawks and to an Iranian population drained by years of sanctions. Nothing like a showdown with Washington to rally the troops.

This verbal escalation isn't an accident: it's a deliberate strategy by both camps to maintain tension at an optimal level. High enough to justify strong positions, controlled enough to avoid total conflagration that would destroy the global economy.

The Real Winners of This Crisis

While European markets sleep — Paris, London and Frankfurt closed hours ago — American speculators continue to get rich off the volatility. Investment funds specializing in energy have seen their positions appreciate spectacularly since the conflict began.

American oil companies, meanwhile, are swimming in euphoria. Every bellicose statement drives up their margins, and they have no interest in seeing this crisis resolve quickly. ExxonMobil, Chevron and company watch their stock prices soar while their CEOs hypocritically call for "de-escalation."

Saudi Arabia and the UAE — whose Abu Dhabi exchange closed fifteen hours ago — observe this ping-pong match with knowing smiles. Every additional day of tension fills their coffers without them having to lift a finger. They can even play mediators while pocketing the profits.

The Illusion of American Control

The "American efforts to control oil prices" mentioned by Bloomberg reveal Washington's fundamental powerlessness against global energy markets. Despite record shale oil production, the United States remains vulnerable to geopolitical shocks in the Middle East.

Trump can threaten to tap strategic reserves or negotiate with Saudi Arabia all he wants: as long as the Iranian threat hangs over the Strait of Hormuz — through which 20% of global oil transits — markets will remain nervous. And this nervousness suits too many people to disappear overnight.

The reality is that the Trump administration is flying blind. It's trying to maintain an impossible balance between geopolitical firmness and economic stability, between satisfying its electoral base and appeasing financial markets.

The Human Cost of This Calculated Escalation

While political and financial elites get rich off this crisis, it's American and European middle classes who pay the price. Every additional dollar per barrel translates to hundreds of millions of dollars siphoned from consumer wallets.

Transportation companies, already weakened by inflation, see their costs explode. Airlines immediately pass these increases on to their fares. The chemical industry, a major oil consumer, is already preparing its price hikes.

This inflationary spiral isn't a regrettable side effect: it's the price deliberately accepted by American and Iranian leaders to maintain their respective positions of strength.

The Escalation Machine

Thirteen days is already too long for a crisis that could have been defused on day one. But Trump and his Iranian counterpart chose escalation because it serves their immediate political interests.

Tomorrow, when Asian markets open — Tokyo at 9:00 AM local time, Shanghai at 9:30 AM — traders will probably discover new inflammatory statements from both camps. This daily escalation mechanism artificially maintains tension and oil prices.

The truth is that neither leader really wants war. They just want its political and economic benefits without bearing the costs. This brinkmanship strategy works as long as nobody falls into the abyss. But history teaches us that this kind of game always ends badly.

Energy markets will continue to suffer as long as this comedy lasts. And it will last as long as it pays more than it costs the real decision-makers — those counting their profits while others count the dead.