The U.S. president is most eager to establish control over Iran's oil industry, as was done in Venezuela, according to Donald Trump's interview with the FT. Such a move implies the capture of Khark Island.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing war between the U.S. and Israel against Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he "would prefer to take the oil (of the Islamic Republic under his control. - Ed.)", comparing this move to Washington's actions in Venezuela, where the U.S. seized the country's ruler Nicolás Maduro in January and plans to control the oil industry "indefinitely". The head of the White House made this statement in an interview with the Financial Times on March 29. The publication released it on its website on Monday, March 30.
"Honestly, what I want most is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people in the U.S. say: 'Why are you doing this?' But these are stupid people," FT quotes Donald Trump.
"Such a move (establishing U.S. control over the oil industry of the Islamic Republic. - Ed.) would imply the capture of Khark Island, through which most of Iran's oil is exported," the publication states.
War in Iran and rising global oil prices
As FT reminds, the crisis in the Middle East related to the war in Iran has led to a 50% increase in oil prices within a month. On the morning of March 30, in Asian markets, the price of Brent crude oil exceeded $116 per barrel, approaching the highest level since the beginning of the conflict, the journalists note.
It is reported that the Pentagon has approved the deployment of 10,000 troops to the region, capable of capturing and holding Khark Island. Thus, 3,500 U.S. troops, including about 2,200 Marines, arrived in the region on March 27. Another 2,200 Marines are heading there. Thousands of servicemen from the 82nd Airborne Division have also received orders to deploy to the region. Meanwhile, the operation to capture this export hub would be risky, considering the likelihood of increased casualties among U.S. troops, as well as the rising costs and duration of this war.
"Maybe we will capture Khark Island, maybe we won’t. We have many options," Trump said in a conversation with FT. "This would mean that we would stay there (on Khark Island. - Ed.) for some time." When asked how he assesses Iran's defense of the island, the U.S. president stated: "I don’t think they have any defense. We could easily take it."
Trump on negotiations with Iran mediated by Pakistan
Despite the threat to seize Iran's oil industry, Trump noted that indirect negotiations with Tehran mediated by Pakistan are progressing well. He previously gave Iran a deadline of April 6 to agree to the proposed U.S. deal to end the war. Otherwise, U.S. forces will strike at the energy sector facilities of the Islamic Republic.
When asked if a deal could be reached soon that would allow the resumption of trade shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil is transported, Donald Trump did not give a direct answer. "We still have about 3,000 targets left. We bombed 13,000 targets - and a couple of thousand targets remain. A deal could be reached very quickly," the publication quotes him.
Trump on the prospect of Iran lifting the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
According to Trump, with Iran's permission, 20 tankers have already set sail through the Strait of Hormuz, and the chairman of the Majlis (parliament) of the Islamic Republic Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, "making him a gift," agreed to allow several more vessels to pass through the strait. It was not possible to verify this information through independent sources at the time of publication.
Additionally, Trump reiterated his statement that the new Supreme Leader of Iran Mojtaba Khamenei is in poor health. "The son (of the former Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike. - Ed.) is either dead or in very bad condition. We haven’t heard anything about him. He is not there," Trump emphasized. Iranian authorities, in turn, insist that Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and in a safe place.
