Iranian Politician Warns US: Drain Oil Reserves, Face Collapse

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has been at the center of attention in recent weeks, and Iranian politician Ebrahim Ghalibaf is not holding back. In a tweet, he mocked US energy expert Bessent by sharing a photoshopped Wile E. Coyote meme with the caption 'You are here, cutie', making cryptic references to the SPR's caverns at Bryan Mound.

Ghalibaf warned Washington that draining the SPR below its operational minimum of 250-300 million barrels could put the underground salt caverns at risk of collapse. The current level is around 286.6 million barrels, its lowest since November 1982 and roughly 40% of total capacity.

US Department of Energy data shows that the reserve comprises 60 underground caverns across 4 sites, with individual caverns capable of holding millions of barrels of crude. The US is set to release another 39 million barrels, which could bring crude in the reserve down to 243 million barrels.