The United States' strategic oil reserves fell to their lowest level in more than four decades, amid efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to contain the impact of the recent energy crisis caused by the conflict between the United States and Iran.

According to data released this Monday by the Department of Energy, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell to 340.3 million barrels, a figure that had not been recorded since 1983. The inventory was created after the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s with the aim of protecting the country against serious interruptions in energy supplies.

The reduction comes after the White House authorized the release of approximately 172 million barrels in March to ease pressures on international markets and moderate rising gasoline prices stemming from the war in the Middle East and the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important shipping routes for the global oil trade.

Although Washington and Iran recently announced a preliminary agreement to restore navigation in that strategic area and move towards the end of hostilities, industry experts warn that the normalization of oil flows could take weeks or even months.

Concern about the ability to respond to future crises

The decline in reserves has reignited debate about the United States' ability to respond to future energy emergencies. Although the reserve maintains more than 340 million barrels in storage, analysts point out that a prolonged reduction could limit the government's room for maneuver in the face of new disruptions to global supply.

Patrick De Haan, head of oil analysis at GasBuddy, has noted that the infrastructure can operate adequately at levels significantly lower than current levels, although he acknowledged that the continued decline in inventories is causing concern among some market observers.

For their part, Energy Department officials defended the Trump administration's strategy and assured that the reserve is being used in accordance with its original purpose: to stabilize markets, protect national energy security and respond to exceptional circumstances that affect supply.

The current release of crude oil is carried out through an exchange program that allows energy companies to receive oil with the commitment to return it later along with additional volume. According to the federal agency, this mechanism will allow the recovery of an amount greater than that extracted during the coming months.

Oil and gasoline remain under pressure

The fall in reserves coincides with a period of strong tensions in energy markets. Since the beginning of the conflict with Iran, international crude oil prices have increased by close to 20%, also driving up the cost of fuel for American consumers.

The national average price of gasoline currently exceeds four dollars per gallon, a factor that has increased political pressure on the White House ahead of the November legislative elections.

The situation also reignites the debate about decisions made by previous administrations. During the Joe Biden administration, nearly 290 million barrels were withdrawn from the reserve to mitigate the economic impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the time, Republican leaders criticized the measure and accused the Democratic administration of using the reserves for political purposes.

Trump, who for years questioned those releases, promised to restore the inventory to historic levels. However, the recent energy crisis once again forced the federal government to resort to a tool considered key to protecting the country's economic and energy stability.