‘US could take the oil in Iran’: Trump signals seizure of Kharg Island export hub
US President Donald Trump has said he would prefer to “take the oil in Iran” and indicated that Washington could move to seize Kharg Island, Tehran’s main oil export hub, as the US ramps up its military presence in the Middle East.In an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, Trump said his “preference would be to take the oil”, drawing a comparison with Venezuela, where the US plans to retain control over the oil sector “indefinitely” after capturing strongman leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.His remarks come at a time when the US-Israel war with Iran has pushed the region deeper into crisis and driven a sharp surge in global oil prices. Brent crude climbed above $116 per barrel on Monday in Asian trading, nearing its highest level since the conflict began.Trump said: “To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people.”Any such move would likely involve capturing Kharg Island, through which the bulk of Iran’s oil exports are routed.The US has already been reinforcing its troop presence in the region. The Pentagon has ordered the deployment of around 10,000 personnel trained for ground operations, including seizing and holding territory. Roughly 3,500 troops arrived on Friday, among them about 2,200 Marines. Another 2,200 Marines are on the way, along with thousands more from the 82nd Airborne Division.However, targeting the export hub carries significant risks. It could lead to higher US casualties and prolong both the cost and duration of the conflict.“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump told the FT. “It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.”Asked about Iran’s defensive capabilities on the island, Trump said: “I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily.”The conflict has expanded in recent days. An attack on a Saudi air base on Friday injured 12 American personnel and damaged a US E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft worth $270 million. At the same time, Houthi forces in Yemen launched a ballistic missile towards Israel, raising fears of a wider escalation that could deepen the global energy crisis.Despite his strong rhetoric on seizing Iranian oil assets, Trump said indirect negotiations between the US and Iran, conducted through Pakistani intermediaries, were progressing. He has set an April 6 deadline for Tehran to agree to terms to end the conflict or face further US strikes targeting its energy infrastructure.When asked about the possibility of a ceasefire that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route for oil, Trump did not provide specifics.“We’ve got about 3,000 targets left — we’ve bombed 13,000 targets — and another couple of thousand targets to go,” he said. “A deal could be made fairly quickly.”Trump also claimed that Iran had allowed Pakistan-flagged oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as what he described as a “present” to Washington. He said the number had increased from 10 to 20, although this could not be independently verified.“They gave us 10,” he said. “Now they’re giving 20 and the 20 have already started and they’re going right up the middle of the Strait.”He added that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had authorised the additional shipments.“He’s the one who authorised the ships to me,” Trump said. “Remember I said they’re giving me a present? And everyone said: ‘What’s the present? Bullshit.’ When they heard about that they kept their mouth shut and the negotiations are going very well.”Trump further claimed that Iran had effectively undergone “regime change” following the killing of longtime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials in early strikes.“The people we’re dealing with are a totally different group of people . . . [They] are very professional,” he said.He also repeated his assertion that Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader and son of Ali Khamenei, may be dead or seriously injured.“The son is either dead or in extremely bad shape,” Trump said. “We’ve not heard from him at all. He’s gone.”Tehran, however, has maintained that the country’s leadership remains intact, insisting that the Supreme Leader is safe despite his continued absence from public view, which has fuelled speculation about his condition.
