US President Donald Trump has said he would prefer to “take the oil in Iran” and indicated that Washington could seize Kharg Island, a key export hub, as the United States deploys thousands of troops to the Middle East amid an escalating crisis.
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 intends to control the oil industry “indefinitely” following the capture of leader Nicolás Maduro.
The remarks come as the US-Israel war with Iran intensifies, pushing the region deeper into instability and driving global oil prices up by more than 50 per cent within a month, reports Financial Times.
“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,” Trump said.
Any move to seize Kharg Island — through which most of Iran’s oil exports pass — would mark a significant escalation in the conflict.
Trump signalled uncertainty over the plan, saying, “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” adding, “It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.”
On Iran’s defensive capability, he added: “I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily.”
The Pentagon has already ordered the deployment of 10,000 troops trained to seize and hold territory. Around 3,500 personnel have arrived in the region, including roughly 2,200 Marines, while another 2,200 are en route. Thousands more troops from the 82nd Airborne Division have also been mobilised.
However, analysts caution that any assault on Kharg Island would be highly risky, potentially increasing US casualties and prolonging the conflict.
