US President Donald Trump hinted in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper that Washington could capture Kharg Island, Iran’s major oil export hub.
“We may capture Kharg island, we may not. We have many options,” he told the Financial Times.
Underscoring the strategic importance of the island, Trump said, “I don’t think they have any defense system. We could take it over very easily.”
Trump also openly expressed his broader objectives regarding Iran’s energy resources. He told the Financial Times, “To be honest, my biggest desire is to take oil away from Iran, but some idiots in America say, ‘Why are you doing this?’ But they are foolish people.”
He rejected domestic criticism, saying opponents of the move were “stupid people”.
He further indicated that any potential operation may require a continued US presence. “It would also mean that we would have to stay there (Kharg Island) for some time,” Trump told the Financial Times.
Drawing comparisons with US policy in Venezuela, Trump said Washington could gain long-term control of oil assets, adding that it could be kept “indefinitely”.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about the deal with Iran, citing “very good negotiations” and saying Iran has allowed 20 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a “symbol of respect”.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Trump said, “Yes, I do see an Iran deal. It could happen soon.”
He further said, “We had very good talks with Iran today, and we got a lot of things that they should have given long ago. Let’s see what happens next, but they are very good and making a lot of progress in the talks. And they have destroyed many additional targets today. Both the Navy and the Air Force have been destroyed, that we know. We have destroyed many bases today. It was a big day. And we are talking to them directly and indirectly.”
Earlier, Iran’s acting Defense Minister Brigadier General Seyed Majid Ibn Reza held an important telephone conversation with Turkish Defense Minister Yasser Guler amid the Middle East conflict involving the US and Israel, according to Iranian state media Press TV.
According to Press TV, during the talks on Sunday evening, General Raza strongly condemned the “brutal military aggression” against Iran, calling it a clear violation of international law and the fundamental principles of the global order.
