Trump ‘creating problems’ for US – Lula

Americans facing higher fuel costs have paid the price of Washington’s war on Iran, the Brazilian president has said

US President Donald Trump’s policy has ended up creating problems for Americans, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said, citing soaring energy prices linked to the war on Iran.

Lula made the remarks in an interview with El Pais published on Thursday.

“[Trump] is playing a very dangerous game. He operates on the premise that American economic, military, and technological power dictates the rules of the game. Ultimately, it ends up creating problems for the United States,” he said.

“When he decided to attack Iran, I don’t know if he realized that fuel prices would rise and that the people would be the ones to pay the price,” the Brazilian president added.

Fuel prices in the US have surged since the US-Israeli war on Iran disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran closing the key freight corridor to ships associated with nations it considers hostile. The fighting has also damaged key petrochemical facilities in the region.

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Gasoline prices across the US averaged $4.09 per gallon on Thursday, compared to $2.94 in late February, prior to the Iran conflict, according to data from the American Automobile Association.

Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have not produced results since a tentative ceasefire took hold last week. Iran has blamed the breakdown of the talks on “unrealistic demands” presented by the US, while Washington has reacted by announcing a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for Tehran-linked vessels.

The possibility of new talks is being discussed, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists on Wednesday, without providing further details.

READ MORE: Russian Security Council issues US-Israel ground op warning

The Russian Security Council has warned that the US and Israel could be exploiting the negotiations to prepare a ground invasion of Iran, given that “the Pentagon continues to build up the US grouping in the region.”