Iranian military spokesman warns oil could hit $200 amid conflict

TASS · 🇺🇸 public United States · May 26, 2026 · 207 words

Diplomatic Negotiations US-Iran conflict Global Oil Market Stability

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Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned that oil prices could rise to $200 per barrel due to US military actions in the Middle East. The article also outlines a timeline of military operations, ceasefires, and diplomatic negotiations between the US and Iran from February to May.

Propaganda risk 20%

Claims checked 8

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said the oil price could reach $200 per barrel because of US military operations in the Middle East.

Why it matters

He wrote on X that the United States would not reach an agreement in the region as long as it continued its military "adventures", adding that the US government had repeatedly shown it understood only the language of force and warning of $200-per-barrel oil…

Common ground

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What terms are actually in the Iran proposal, and which side would have to compromise first?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28?
What happens next if the deal stalls, and who has the power to restart talks?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/economy/2136521

analyticsAnalysis

20%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 70% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

verified Verified By Reference 2

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported by multiple independent sources including TASS and Flipboard, and is further supported by the Wikipedia entry for '2026 Iran war' which confirms the start date of February 28, 2026.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On June 22, 2025, the United States Air Force and Navy attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran as part of the Twelve-Day War, under the code name Operation Midnight Hammer. The Fordow Uranium Enrich…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_strikes_on_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Iran–Israel conflict is a long-standing geopolitical and military confrontation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel, involving proxy hostilities since 1985 and direct clas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Israel_conflict

+ 5 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “he said the following day that the sides had not yet reached final agreements on several issues.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided web search results for May 24/recent days discuss negotiations 'proceeding nicely' or general deal status, but do not explicitly confirm a statement made on May 24 that final agreements had not yet been reached.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago ... Yeah, and they had a shooting in the proximity of the White House while the deal was being negotiated! I wonder who did this?! No need for ...
https://www.facebook.com/EgyptTodayMag/posts/us-president-do…

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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago ... President Donald Trump said Monday that negotiations are "proceeding nicely," while reiterating his warning that fighting would resume if no ...
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/what-we-know-and-dont-kno…

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web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago ... Shaz R Man The board of peace has already taken care of that problem, in fact it's why Saudi Arabia helped found the board.
https://www.facebook.com/cnn/posts/us-president-donald-trump…

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Claim 3: “On May 23, the US leader stated that an agreement had been largely negotiated”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported across multiple TASS cross-references stating that the US leader announced an agreement had been largely negotiated on May 23.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — On May 23, the US leader stated that an agreement had been largely negotiated
https://tass.com/world/2136055

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cross reference SUPPORTS — On May 23, the US leader stated that an agreement had been largely negotiated.
https://tass.com/world/2135943

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Claim 4: “On April 7, US President Donald Trump announced a "double-sided" two-week ceasefire with Iran.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple reports from TASS confirm that President Trump announced a 'double-sided' two-week ceasefire on April 7.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On April 12, 2025, Iran and the United States began a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement, following a letter from US president Donald Trump to Iranian supreme leader Al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iran–United_States_n…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — From 13 to 15 May 2026, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, made a state visit to China. This visit was Trump's second state visit to China, and the first to occur during his second pres…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_state_visit_by_Donald_Tru…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — During his second term as President of the United States, Donald Trump has made numerous false or misleading claims. The Associated Press fact-checked several of Trump's statements from his first week…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_or_misleading_statements…

+ 2 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 5: “On April 11, the parties held several rounds of talks in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The Wikipedia entry 'Islamabad Talks' explicitly confirms that peace talks were held in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11 and 12, 2026. This is further corroborated by Tasnim and Türkiye Today web results.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Islamabad Talks, also known as the Islamabad Peace Talks, were held in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 11 and 12 April 2026. Aimed at stabilizing the 2026 Iran war ceasefire and negotiating a potential re…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamabad_Talks

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Following strikes against Iran on 28 February 2026 by a joint military operation conducted by Israel and the United States against the Government of Iran, including the assassination of Ali Khamenei, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protests_against_the_2026_Iran…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 6: “Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said the oil price could reach $200 per barrel because of US military operations in the Middle East.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While evidence discusses the 2026 Iran war and general tensions, none of the provided search results or Wikipedia entries mention a spokesman named Ebrahim Zolfaghari or a specific claim about oil reaching $200 per barrel.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces (Persian: ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران, romanized: Arteš Jumhuriye-e Eslâmi-e Irân, abbr. AJA), commonly known as Artesh (ارتش), is the conventional armed forces …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Army

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “On April 21, the US president announced plans to extend the ceasefire with Iran.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple reports from TASS confirm that the US president announced plans to extend the ceasefire on April 21.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 13 April 2026, the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iran following the failure of the Islamabad Talks to end the 2026 Iran war. The US military said the blockade had begun on Monday, 13 Ap…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_naval_block…

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+ 5 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “On May 19, Trump said the US was ready to give diplomacy a chance, postponing military operations until the beginning of next week.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results (one mentioning Gulf leaders and another mentioning 'Iran war day 81') confirm that on May 19, 2026, Trump postponed military operations to pursue diplomacy.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 19, 2026 ... U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will postpone planned military ... diplomacy before deciding on a US strike against ...
https://www.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/trump-delays…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 19, 2026 ... US president says he held off a scheduled attack on Iran after pressure from Gulf allies as renewed talks gain momentum.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/19/iran-war-day-81-tru…

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web search NEUTRAL — Critics referred to it as a "Muslim ban", because President Trump had previously called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, and because ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_13769

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.