Trump eyes Iran’s oil and suggests move to control Kharg Island

According to the US leader, he would prefer to take the oil, comparing this potential move to the situation in Venezuela, where Washington intends to control the oil industry indefinitely after the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in January.

“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.

As the Financial Times explains, such a move would involve seizing Kharg Island, through which a large share of Iran’s oil exports passes. However, an assault would be risky, increasing the likelihood of further US casualties and prolonging the war.

“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. I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily,” the US president said.

At the same time, despite threats to seize Iran’s oil production, Trump emphasized that indirect negotiations between the US and Iran via Pakistani intermediaries are progressing well.

As is known, the president set a deadline of April 6 for Iran to agree to a deal to end the war; otherwise, the country could face US strikes on its energy sector.

When asked about the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement in the coming days, which would allow the Strait of Hormuz to reopen, Trump declined to provide details but said:

“We’ve got about 3,000 targets left — we’ve bombed 13,000 targets — and another couple of thousand targets to go. A deal could be made fairly quickly,” the US president said.

Last week, Trump stated that Iran allowed 10 oil tankers flying the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This permission was described as a gift to the White House. The number of such vessels has now doubled to 20.

He added that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian parliament and one of the country’s top wartime officials, authorized the dispatch of additional tankers.

Trump also said that regime change has already taken place in Iran following the elimination of Ali Khamenei and other officials, adding that it’s a completely different group of people who are very professional.

In conclusion, he suggested that the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may no longer be alive or could be seriously wounded.

Peace in the Middle East

For example, the Wall Street Journal recently reported that Trump told his allies he wants to end the war with Iran in the coming weeks.

US Vice President JD Vance said last weekend that the operation would continue for a while longer. He explained that the continuation of hostilities is aimed at neutralizing Iran so that the issue does not have to be revisited for a long time.

On Sunday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry stated that it is ready to host talks between the US and Iran in the coming days. As is known, Pakistan is acting as a mediator in these peace talks.