U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that the United States is very close to securing a nuclear agreement with Iran, and that Tehran has “in some way” agreed to the terms. He also expressed optimism about the possibility of avoiding military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities — statements that caused oil prices to drop.

“We’re not going to create nuclear dust in Iran,” Trump said from Qatar, during his tour of the Gulf. “We are in a very serious negotiation with Iran for long-term peace. I believe we are close to reaching an agreement,” he added.

Drop in oil prices

Following the U.S. President’s statement, oil prices fell by more than 3%.

At around 10:15 a.m. (Greek time), the price of Brent crude had decreased by 3.15% to $64.01 per barrel, while the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was down 3.29% to $61.07 per barrel.