Even Trump got angry over ‘rockets and feathers’

Opinion cost-of-living crisisenergyirantrumpuswar Even Trump got angry over ‘rockets and feathers’ Trump Confirms Iran Deal Signed, But Lebanon Dispute And Israeli Unease Cloud Breakthrough Relevant News Even Trump got angry over ‘rockets and feathers’ 25 June 2026 Prospecta Development: Paphos shifting to modern community living 25 June 2026 Wealthy nations reap huge benefits from immigration, study finds 25 June 2026 Chrysanthos Manoli 25 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Whenever Cypriot MPs complain that petrol prices spike at the pumps before a rise in the international barrel price can even register, referring to the “rockets and feathers” phenomenon, many in Cyprus — especially government officials or ruling party insiders — dismiss it as exaggeration or baseless claims. Yet this is a globally recognised pattern. And since it happens elsewhere, we shouldn’t be surprised to see it play out here frequently. Instead of denying the phenomenon, authorities should find a way to manage it. For example, criticism of the so-called “rockets and falling leaves” price behaviour is also underway in the United States. And leading the charge against the oil companies isn’t just any commentator — it’s President Donald Trump himself. Trump appears to have believed… himself when he assured the public, at the height of the energy crisis caused by his war, that prices would drop like a stone once Iran was defeated. It’s far from certain that Iran lost on every front, but a memorandum was signed aiming for a ceasefire within roughly sixty days. The prospect of this agreement caused Brent and WTI crude prices to fall sharply, by some twenty to twenty-five percent overall. In other words, Trump could today say, “I told you so.” Only he can’t. In the US, retail petrol prices did not fall at the same speed as wholesale prices in international markets. During the conflict, the average petrol price in the country rose from two point six to two point eight dollars per gallon (one gallon = 3.8 litres) to four point seven dollars, sparking outrage over Trump’s energy policies. The pressure from the American public, heavily burdened by daily car travel, was one reason the president ultimately felt compelled to sign an agreement and restore order to the markets. In recent days, US petrol prices have barely dropped below four dollars per gallon, with a slow downward trend expected. This mirrors what often happens in Cyprus: pump prices never fall like a stone. And this did not please Trump, who continues to be criticised even by fellow Republicans. Yesterday, international news agencies reported that Trump asked the US Department of Justice to investigate oil companies, accusing them of “cheating” consumers by keeping retail prices artificially high. “Big oil companies do not lower pump prices in line with the sharply lower costs they pay for crude,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “Customers are being deceived.” It’s neither the first nor the last time, Mr President. You gave them the opportunity yourself. We are told that maintaining US petrol prices above what wholesale costs justify is not as egregious or unjustified as Trump claims, because companies still hold stocks of more expensive fuel purchased when crude prices were much higher. Yes, but that still doesn’t give global consumers a convincing explanation: why, when prices should fall, is there always plenty of high-cost stock, yet when prices rise, the cheaper stock disappears to soften the increase? Let’s hope Donald learns this and, if nothing else, keeps us informed down here too. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Prospecta Development: Paphos shifting to modern community living Wealthy nations reap huge benefits from immigration, study finds Russian woman critical after running naked in Limassol street and testing positive for fentanyl Things to do on Thursday, June 25 Wild animals do not belong in city centres, ALMA says as it calls for Limassol Zoo to close Flood sensors, risk maps and SMS alerts: the tech plan to keep Pedieos park users safe Powerful earthquakes strike Venezuela Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.