Trump says US could seize Iran's Kharg Island
Washington (ANTARA) - US President Donald Trump said on Sunday (29/3) that he wants to “take Iran’s oil” and could seize Kharg Island, the country’s oil export hub.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said that what he likes is taking over Iran’s oil and compared US actions towards Venezuela, where Washington intends to control the oil industry “indefinitely” after forcibly capturing President Nicolas Maduro in January.
Seizing Iran’s oil would involve capturing Kharg Island, which handles more than 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports, the Financial Times reported, warning that such an “attack” risks increasing casualties and prolonging the war.
“We might seize Kharg Island, or maybe not. We have many options. It would also mean we have to be there for a while,” Trump said in the newspaper’s report.
He added that he believes Iran has little or no defence on the island.
“We could take it very easily,” he said.
Trump’s statement comes as he increases US military deployments in the Middle East while considering military operations to take nearly 1,000 pounds (about 450 kilograms) of uranium from Iran, according to US officials.
He has also urged his advisers to press Iran to agree to hand over the material as a condition for ending the war, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources familiar with Trump’s thinking.
The Pentagon is reportedly deploying up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the region, with the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announcing on Saturday (28/3) that more than 3,500 troops, including 2,500 marines, have arrived in the Middle East.
Despite the threats, Trump stated that indirect talks between the US and Iran through “emissaries” from Pakistan show progress.
“A deal could be reached quite quickly,” he said.
Oil prices have surged since the US and Israel launched a massive attack on Iran on 28 February, with Brent crude oil rising to $119.5 US dollars (1 US dollar = Rp16,957) per barrel in March, the highest level since June 2022.