Key facts
- Von der Leyen said disruptions on the Strait of Hormuz are shaking global energy markets.
- Guterres said recent conflicts showed reliance on imported fossil fuels is a recipe for chronic insecurity.
- Khan said Trump's shadow is at COP because of the midterm elections and that people can picture a world without him.
- White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said Trump is ensuring Iran can never have or use a nuclear weapon.
- The report says the US withdrawal from the UNFCCC treaty underpinning COP talks will be completed early next year.
- Climate think tank founder Nick Mabey said Lula's reelection in Brazil and the US midterms gave COP31 a more positive tone.
Donald Trump did not attend the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, and Washington sent no delegation, but the US attack on Iran and its effect on fuel prices were raised by speaker after speaker at the conference on November 11 and 12, 2026, according to POLITICO.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said disruptions on the Strait of Hormuz are "shaking global energy markets." UN Secretary General António Guterres said recent conflicts had made clear that dependence on imported fossil fuels "is a recipe for chronic insecurity and a cost-of-living meltdown," and added that "the case for fossil fuels is collapsing."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, co-chair of the C40 group of city mayors, said Trump's "shadow is still here" because of the midterm elections, and that people could see on the horizon a world without Trump or one of his proteges. Khan said fingers are pointed at Trump over what he did in Iran, more so than at Vladimir Putin over Ukraine.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said Trump is ensuring Iran can never have or use a nuclear weapon, and that the conflict has underscored the importance of access to reliable, affordable and secure energy sources. The report says the US withdrawal from the UNFCCC treaty that underpins COP talks will be completed early next year.
Nick Mabey, founder of the E3G climate think tank, said the US midterms and the reelection of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil gave COP31 a more positive tone, as countries see a move away from populism. One European diplomat, not named, said there is a sense of tails up at the summit.