Trump warns US could ‘take the oil in Iran’ as Mideast war escalates
Smoke rises from the course of an power set up in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. Smoke could be seen rising from the course of a serious UAE power set up on March 14, in what gave the impression to be the newest strike focusing on the Gulf’s petroleum services hours after the US struck Iran’s Kharg Island.
– | Afp | Getty Images
US President Donald Trump mentioned he could “take the oil in Iran” and seize Iran’s export hub of Kharg Island, as hostilities in the Middle East proceed for a fifth week.
trump told the Financial Times on Sunday that his “preference would be to take the oil,” evaluating it to the US army operation in Venezuela earlier this 12 months the place the US successfully gained management of the Latin American nation’s oil trade, following the seize of its chief Nicolás Maduro.
The Trump administration has weighed sending floor forces to the Kharg Island, in keeping with Reuters, with one in every of its sources warning that such an operation could be “very risky.” Tehran has the capacity to achieve the island with missiles and drones.
In the FT interview, Trump mentioned that “my favorite 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.”
“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump mentioned. “It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.”
The White House and the US State Department didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s requests for remark.
Trump’s remarks come as the battle between the US-Israel and Iran expands throughout the area, elevating dangers to power and infrastructure, and sending crude oil costs surging.
May futures for Brent Crude rose over 3.2% to $116.12 per barrel throughout early Asia hours, with the worldwide benchmark heading for a document month-to-month leap. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures gained 3.4% to $102.96 per barrel.
The Washington Post reported Saturday evening that the Pentagon was making ready for weeks of potential floor battle in Iran with round 3,500 troops arriving in the region on Friday. Thousands of troopers from the 82nd Airborne Division have additionally been ordered to support the war effort.
Trump mentioned final week that Iranian negotiators were “begging” the US to make a deal to finish the war, though Iran has denied any direct interplay with the US Trump in his interview to the FT mentioned that oblique talks between the US and Iran through Pakistani “emissaries” have been progressing nicely.
Mixed messaging
Trump informed reporters aboard Air Force One en path to Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night that the two sides had had “very good meetings, both directly and indirectly.”
The US despatched Iran to a 15-point peace plan, together with a complete termination of Iran’s nuclear program and sharp limits on the attain and dimension of its missile arsenal. Tehran has publicly rejected the offer and laid out its personal circumstances.
Trump, nevertheless, claimed that Iran had agreed to most of the 15 factors proposed by the US for a peace deal. “They gave us most of the points…They’re agreeing with us on the plan,” he mentioned, including that Iran had allowed as much as 20 boats laden with oil to undergo the Strait of Hormuz, “out of a sign of respect.”
“I would only say that we’re doing extremely well in that negotiation. But you never know with Iran, because we negotiate with them, and then we always have to blow them up,” Trump mentioned.
Asked a couple of attainable floor troop deployment, Trump mentioned there have been “lots of alternatives,” including that the US army’s achievements in opposition to Iran have been to date akin to “truly.” [a] regime change.”
A potential US ground operation will likely trigger Iranian military to escalate attacks on power infrastructure and desalination plants across the Gulf region, said Seth Krummrich, vice president of Global Guardian, and a former US chief of staff, special operations, CENTCOM.
“We’re in all probability nearer to the starting or to the center of this story than we’re to the finish,” Krummrich mentioned on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Monday.
Critical infrastructure in the region has already come under fire. In a social media post On Monday morning, Kuwait said a service building at a power generation and water desalination plant were damaged in an attack Sunday evening, killing one worker.
The country said the facility was targeted as part of what it described as Iranian aggression against Kuwait. The worker killed was an Indian national, according to the power ministry.
Emergency teams were deployed immediately to contain damage and maintain operations, while authorities coordinated with security agencies to secure the site. Officials said Kuwait’s electricity and water systems remain stable and contingency plans had been activated to ensure continued supply, according to the statement.
Gulf desalination plants supply most drinking water in the region, making them critical infrastructure and a sensitive target in any escalation.
Iran-aligned Houthi forces also entered the conflict and launched missiles toward Israel. “The Yemeni Armed Forces… have carried out the first army operation utilizing a barrage of ballistic missiles focusing on delicate Israeli army websites,” Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree mentioned in a post on X.
— CNBC’s Lee Ying Shan and Azhar Sukri contributed to this report.
