Global energy markets experienced a sharp jolt on Monday as crude oil prices surged to a fleeting peak of $120 per barrel, only to retreat swiftly after President Trump declared in a CBS interview that the conflict was "very complete, pretty much," asserting that Iran had been left with "no navy, no communications, no air force." The remarks stood in stark contrast to statements made just hours earlier by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who characterized the military engagement as still in its opening phase. When pressed on the glaring inconsistency between his administration's competing narratives, Trump offered a response that appeared to reconcile both assessments simultaneously — a rhetorical maneuver that underscored the profound strategic ambiguity surrounding Washington's Iran policy and left analysts, markets, and allied governments scrambling to determine the true operational status on the ground.
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