Mahama in trouble over comments on Israel-Iran conflict

Some social media users, particularly on X, have raised questions about President John Dramani Mahama’s remarks regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

During his ‘Thank You Tour’ of the Savannah Region on June 14, 2025, President Mahama said he had instructed the Finance and Energy Ministers to take action to safeguard the progress made in reducing petroleum product prices, as escalating tensions between Iran and Israel were beginning to drive up the price of crude oil.

“Despite the work we have done in stabilising the economy, Ghana is not immune to the shocks of global events,” President Mahama stated.

According to him, the recent exchange of missile strikes between Iran and Israel has led to a sharp increase in crude oil prices, posing a potential threat to Ghana’s efforts to keep fuel prices down. He noted that he had asked the Ministers of Finance and Energy to closely monitor the situation.

“Recent events in the Middle East, which involve an exchange of missiles between Israel and Iran, have started to escalate crude oil prices dramatically.

“I’ve asked our Minister of Finance and Minister of Energy to keep a close eye on the development and model the possible impacts on our petroleum prices, and prepare measures to protect the recent gains that we have made,” he added.

However, some Ghanaians have criticised President Mahama’s remarks, expressing surprise and questioning his stance.

They argue that while in opposition, he strongly criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for attributing Ghana’s economic challenges to the Russia-Ukraine war, insisting that external factors should not be used as an excuse for poor economic management.

They now find it contradictory that he is pointing to the Iran-Israel conflict as a key factor behind rising crude oil prices, suggesting that this could be seen as undermining Ghana’s progress in reducing fuel costs.

While some view his remarks as inconsistent, others have defended him, saying he is not shifting blame onto global events.

Rather, they believe he is acknowledging the potential impact of international developments and urging proactive measures to shield Ghana’s economy from external shocks.

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