WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has again raised the prospect of the US taking Iran’s oil and seizing its key fuel export hub at Kharg Island. Speaking on Sunday, Trump told the Financial Times that his “preference would be to take the oil,” as he weighs whether to seize Kharg Island. He likened the potential move to the US ambitions to control Venezuela’s oil industry following the capture of its leader 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. Trump added that US forces would likely need to remain there for an extended period. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump said. “It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.” The island, which handles 90% of Tehran’s oil exports, has long been critical to Iran’s economy. The US previously targeted military installations on Kharg Island with strikes on March 13, with Central Command saying that 90 targets had been hit, including “naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites.” — AgenciesWASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has again raised the prospect of the US taking Iran’s oil and seizing its key fuel export hub at Kharg Island. Speaking on Sunday, Trump told the Financial Times that his “preference would be to take the oil,” as he weighs whether to seize Kharg Island. He likened the potential move to the US ambitions to control Venezuela’s oil industry following the capture of its leader 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. Trump added that US forces would likely need to remain there for an extended period. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump said. “It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.” The island, which handles 90% of Tehran’s oil exports, has long been critical to Iran’s economy. The US previously targeted military installations on Kharg Island with strikes on March 13, with Central Command saying that 90 targets had been hit, including “naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites.” — Agencies
