President Donald Trump said he would like the United States to “take the oil in Iran,” suggesting Washington could capture the country’s main export hub during the ongoing conflict.

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In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said controlling Iranian oil resources would be his preferred outcome of the war. He dismissed criticism from opponents in the United States who question the idea.

Trump raises prospect of seizing Iranian oil

“To be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran,” Trump said, adding that critics who oppose the move are “stupid people.”

The president compared the situation to Venezuela, saying Washington intends to control that country’s oil industry for the long term following the removal of former president Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.

Trump said the United States has multiple options to weaken Iran’s ability to export oil.

Kharg Island seen as key strategic target

Trump also suggested the United States could seize Kharg Island, the Persian Gulf terminal that handles the vast majority of Iran’s crude shipments.

The island is central to the country’s energy system, processing roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports and serving as a major loading point for tankers heading to global markets.

Asked directly about the possibility of capturing the facility, Trump said the decision had not been made.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” he told the newspaper. “It would also mean we had to be there for a while.”

Control of the island would effectively give the United States influence over Iran’s ability to sell oil abroad, analysts say, because most of the country’s crude exports pass through its terminals.

Conflict disrupts global energy routes

The comments come as the war between the United States, Israel and Iran intensifies across the region.

Iran has blocked or threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime energy routes. The narrow waterway normally carries about one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments.

The disruption has pushed oil prices sharply higher and heightened fears about global supply.

Trump said US military operations against Iran had already made significant progress, but he declined to detail potential next steps.

Escalation raises regional stakes

The suggestion of seizing Iran’s main oil export facility signals a possible expansion of the conflict’s objectives beyond military targets.

Analysts say any attempt to take control of the island would likely require US forces to occupy the facility and remain there to maintain operations.

Such a move could also trigger retaliation from Iran against energy infrastructure across the Gulf, further threatening global oil supplies and regional stability.

The proposal underscores the growing link between the military confrontation and global energy markets, as both sides seek leverage over critical oil routes and export facilities.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 30 March 2026

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I recently looked at a map of the Persian Gulf. I had always assumed that Kharg Island was at the entrance to the Gulf, pretty much part of the Straits of Hormuz. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered it was much further up the Gulf!

So the idea is to parachute and air land lightly equipped forces on an island heavily defended, and within artillery, drone and rocket range of the mainland. Any seaborne relief force will be stuck outside the Gulf, unable to pass through the Staits! The whole operation relying on an airbridge to an under fire dirt airstrip every detail of which will be registered by the Iranians. Hegseth, assuming you can read, go away and read up on the battles of Khe San and Dien Bien Phu.

Any troops you put in will end up with no resupply, no heavy weapons, and no casualty evacuation. It is entirely mad!

I don't know who is advising you, but any reasonably tactically aware "full screw" (corporal) writing a short essay for EPC(A) to qualify for advancement to sergeant could tell you that of all the silly ideas it is probably the silliest since Hitler ordered Schorners Army to move to the relef of Berlin! And like that order an absolute death sentence for the men, women and units involved!

30 minutes ago, JAG said:

I recently looked at a map of the Persian Gulf. I had always assumed that Kharg Island was at the entrance to the Gulf, pretty much part of the Straits of Hormuz. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered it was much further up the Gulf!

So the idea is to parachute and air land lightly equipped forces on an island heavily defended, and within artillery, drone and rocket range of the mainland. Any seaborne relief force will be stuck outside the Gulf, unable to pass through the Staits! The whole operation relying on an airbridge to an under fire dirt airstrip every detail of which will be registered by the Iranians. Hegseth, assuming you can read, go away and read up on the battles of Khe San and Dien Bien Phu.

Any troops you put in will end up with no resupply, no heavy weapons, and no casualty evacuation. It is entirely mad!

I don't know who is advising you, but any reasonably tactically aware "full screw" (corporal) writing a short essay for EPC(A) to qualify for advancement to sergeant could tell you that of all the silly ideas it is probably the silliest since Hitler ordered Schorners Army to move to the relef of Berlin! And like that order an absolute death sentence for the men, women and units involved!

The fact that it's openly evoked may suggest it could be a deception.

““To be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran,” Trump said, adding that critics who oppose the move are “stupid people.””

Mission creep.

The man is an utter lunatic, American sons and daughters are being exchanged for folded flags and he wants more.

1 minute ago, candide said:

The fact that it's openly evoked may suggest it could be a deception.

Or he could be running his mouth.

Brent crude just busted $116 -the right wing commetator Stephen Glover in the Mail no friend of the left or of Iran damns Trump's crusade. Trump is heading for US's biggest humilation since Vietnam. Objective hard reality meets his so called "Truth" and it will feel good. But not for those poor souls blown to smithereens and scraped off the floor to go back to grieving families whilst he and his cronies profit from this madness. The man is utterly contemptible as are those that cheer on his bloody madness.

https://archive.ph/PZZS2

The unpredictable ­President is waging a futile war that threatens to plunge the world into recession. His popularity is sagging in the US. It’s worse here. In a recent poll, 73 per cent of Britons had an unfavourable view of Trump. These people include many prospective Reform voters.

I suppose it’s just about possible that Trump will pull off a miracle, and bring a swift end to the war against Iran on terms that are favourable to the West. But it seems much more likely that we are all going to suffer for a long time for his rash and ill-considered action.

Every time we go to the petrol station or look at our latest gas bill, many of us will blame Trump. If there should be shortages in super­markets, blame could turn to hatred. That wouldn’t be good for Farage, who is ­identified in the public mind as Trump’s leading British cheerleader.

What? Iranians are fighting back? Who woulda thought!

2 hours ago, JAG said:

I recently looked at a map of the Persian Gulf. I had always assumed that Kharg Island was at the entrance to the Gulf, pretty much part of the Straits of Hormuz. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered it was much further up the Gulf!

So the idea is to parachute and air land lightly equipped forces on an island heavily defended, and within artillery, drone and rocket range of the mainland. Any seaborne relief force will be stuck outside the Gulf, unable to pass through the Staits! The whole operation relying on an airbridge to an under fire dirt airstrip every detail of which will be registered by the Iranians. Hegseth, assuming you can read, go away and read up on the battles of Khe San and Dien Bien Phu.

Any troops you put in will end up with no resupply, no heavy weapons, and no casualty evacuation. It is entirely mad!

I don't know who is advising you, but any reasonably tactically aware "full screw" (corporal) writing a short essay for EPC(A) to qualify for advancement to sergeant could tell you that of all the silly ideas it is probably the silliest since Hitler ordered Schorners Army to move to the relef of Berlin! And like that order an absolute death sentence for the men, women and units involved!

The US military has already visited the island. All critical targets are identified. No island for Iran means no oil and gas revenue for Iran.

The Iranian have only seen a small amount of US capability.

3 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

What? Iranians are fighting back? Who woulda thought!

88 missiles waves so far and one which was hit bigly by US/isareli bombs minutes later sent a volley back - checked by Gemini. It's like something out of Thaunderbirds

You're right—it wasn't just a surface-level factory. You're likely talking about the Tabriz North or Imam Ali facilities. These are what the IRGC calls their "Missile Cities"—vast, subterranean labyrinshs carved up to 500 meters deep into the mountains.

The "Missile City" Fact-Check

Here is the specific sequence that played out over the last 48 hours:

• The "Bigly" Hit: The US and Israel used "bunker-buster" munitions (likely GBU-72s or similar) to target the tunnel entrances of these mountain bases. The goal wasn't just to destroy the missiles inside, but to "bury" them by collapsing the mountainside onto the access roads.

• The Tabriz/Imam Ali Strike: Satellite imagery from yesterday showed collapsed tunnels at the Tabriz North missile base. The IDF confirmed dropping over 120 bombs in a single wave specifically targeting these "hardened" sites.

• The "Mountain" Retaliation: You’re absolutely right that one of these bases fired back almost immediately. Despite the massive bombardment, Iran has vertical launch silos (hidden under sliding concrete slabs on top of the mountains) that are separate from the main tunnel entrances.

• The "Volley": Minutes after the strikes, a volley of ballistic missiles was launched from these mountain silos. One of these hit the Neot Hovav industrial zone near Beersheba, causing a major chemical fire.

Why they can fire back so fast

These "Missile Cities" are designed for exactly this scenario. Even if the "front door" (the tunnel) is blown up, the missiles are already fueled and sitting in silos deep in the rock. They don't need the tunnel to be open to fire; they just need the "roof" to slide back.

4 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

The US military has already visited the island. All critical targets are identified. No island for Iran means no oil and gas revenue for Iran.

The Iranian have only seen a small amount of US capability.

Keep drinking the Kool-Aid Trump supporters are beggining to sound like Comical Ali - Bahgdad Bob - and a reminder no NATO allies has joined this foolish exercise unlike the coalition of the willing.

1 hour ago, candide said:

The fact that it's openly evoked may suggest it could be a deception.

No. That is his MO.

https://www.politico.eu/article/the-problem-with-donald-trump-oil-obsession-venezuela/

Trump is already attempting to make himself into a king, we might as well go back a couple of centuries to the days of colonialism, and exert our Imperial power by taking over Iran's oil.

Oh wait a minute we tried that already in 1953, hmm, didn't work out so well did it?

If you want to explore one of their missile cities - here's one at the moutain top - it appears despite repeated bombing raids intact and able to retalitate. It also appears that Iranians are being careful with what they use layering older missiles, and cheap drones alongside newer state of the art hypersonic missiles. Opinion seems to be that they are keeping back the best to retaliate - if their infrastructure goes down then so does the Gulf States and Israel - their very own reverse Sampson option. The also seem very well equipped with no jammable fpv fibre optic drones supplied by Russia/China that used on the battlefield prove deadly in close combat in the Russo-Ukraine war. And of course all of this avoidable had Isrel not convinced Trump to begin this futile and senseless war. The threat to global security isn't Iran it's Israel.

https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/iran-has-thousands-of-ballistic-missiles-here-s-where-they-are

Trump’s ‘gut’ let him down in Iran — and we’re all paying the price of his failed diplomacy

Washington’s brand of dealmaking seems unable to handle a determined enemy that seeks its own survival by imposing maximum pain on others. - POLITICO

https://www.politico.eu/article/iran-war-donald-trump-failed-diplomacy-price-gulf-conflict-bombing/

Indeed, before the war started, Iran had engaged in serious discussions to limit its nuclear program. But Witkoff and Kushner apparently didn’t understand the concessions it was seemingly prepared to make—concessions that included pausing enrichment, down-blending and possibly removing its stockpile of enriched uranium, and more. Witkoff also wrongly thought Iran’s insistence on an inalienable right to enrichment and possession of 440 kilograms of uranium — which was widely known — somehow meant it wasn’t serious about a deal.

Now, Trump is stuck in a situation of his own making. His gut let him down. His negotiators don’t know how to deal with a determined enemy that seeks its own survival by imposing maximum pain on others. And we’re all paying the price.

5 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

The US military has already visited the island. All critical targets are identified. No island for Iran means no oil and gas revenue for Iran.

The Iranian have only seen a small amount of US capability.

First off, Kharg doesn't load much in the way of gas. Some byproducts are loaded including LPG but its main output is crude oil. Nature Gas is exported from elsewhere and mostly by pipeline.

As for the destruction of Kharg. Should that happen, you think that the Iranians aren't going to try to take down a lot of oil and gas production of their neighbors? Not just in the Gulf. I don't know how effective the Houthis and their missiles could be against Yanbu, but I reckon the odds are good that they would try. And make the Bab al-Mandab Strait untraversable.

In his latest post the madman says of Iran that if a deal is not reached he will “ blow up and completely obliterate all of their electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island, and possibly all desalination plants.”

He needs sectioning pretty quickly, before he drags everyone down with him.

The amount of military expertise and deep cultural insight provided by the resident self appointed experts of Thaiger's Asean Now forum is astounding. These experts with their reliance on AI generated tidbits just overflow with knowledge and experience. 🫡. Who would have expected that they would have selected Asean Now as their meeting place. 🤡

5 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

The amount of military expertise and deep cultural insight provided by the resident self appointed experts of Thaiger's Asean Now forum is astounding. These experts with their reliance on AI generated tidbits just overflow with knowledge and experience. 🫡. Who would have expected that they would have selected Asean Now as their meeting place. 🤡

You mean you are the one and only real expert here? At least that is the pretension you are showing with each and every post.

Patong how much will it cost to replace this caused by a cpl of cheap Iranian drones.

18 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

The US military has already visited the island. All critical targets are identified. No island for Iran means no oil and gas revenue for Iran.

The Iranian have only seen a small amount of US capability.

It doesn’t make sense to have our guys so far up inside the gulf in point blank range of the enemy……it does make sense to base power down in Dubai to react to any aggression at the choke point……..but it is Donald playing war leader so anything is possible…..sure glad I don’t have to obey the old dotard….just hope he doesn’t get any more GIs killed.Its a hot unessary mess of the first order.this debacle will have consequences lasting decades.

If Trump puts boots on the ground, all he will accomplish is killing a lot of US military and creating a wider conflict which could last for years. In his arrogance and hubris, he and his cabinet have totally misread who the Persian people are and what they are capable of. Trump and his apparatchiks may have planned this for a couple of months, but Iran has been preparing for exactly this moment for decades.

This is how Trump, his cabinet, and most Americans see Iranians.

That's a deadly mistake.

13 hours ago, Alan Zweibel said:

First off, Kharg doesn't load much in the way of gas. Some byproducts are loaded including LPG but its main output is crude oil. Nature Gas is exported from elsewhere and mostly by pipeline.

As for the destruction of Kharg. Should that happen, you think that the Iranians aren't going to try to take down a lot of oil and gas production of their neighbors? Not just in the Gulf. I don't know how effective the Houthis and their missiles could be against Yanbu, but I reckon the odds are good that they would try. And make the Bab al-Mandab Strait untraversable.

If you invade my house, all I need to do is to go to the well and shut the water off. Same same for Kharg Island. It's a loading port. The oil and gas come from the mainland. If US boot are put on the island, Iran loses little by literally blowing it up with the US invaders in place. Or better, try putting boots on the mainland.

What nobody ever thinks about. How would US citizens react if the US was invaded.

The United States and the Trump Administration is wrong. I, like many other Americans, will let that fact be known on November 3rd when we vote for the midterms. And then I hope Trump is impeached.

By the way - it's about stealing Iran's oil and nothing but the oil. Everything else is propaganda used to fabricate a reason to invade.

From 1987 where Trump talks about stealing Iran's oil. This isn't anything new.

Kharg is a red herring IMO - there is no strategic gain in taking the island or destroying infrastructure there - it will be needed in the recovery.

Qeshm on the other hand - it’s from there that Iran can & has been holding international shipping hostage with threats for decades.

Iran wants to monetize the Straits of Hormuz - this is a primary issue.

IMO - no Kharg is not a significant strategic gain - it’s a good threat but Iran intelligence will recognize the net loss for the US in destroying the infrastructure on the island.

Taking Qeshm is the strategic move & will require air raids, precision strikes, then boots on the ground - as Qeshm has significant military infrastructure - Take Qeshm & the gulf opens up - trade can flow freely without the Iranian threats.

Remove the IRGC & Islamic Republic regime and Irans people might be able to return to a free world & trade on level terms - sounds idealistic - But the end game it still to starve out a regime that has a barbaric stranglehold on is population.

It’s not simple - but I don’t think destruction of the infrastructure on the island of Kharg has any end game benefit. It’s already out of action with the choke point blockage at the straights.

13 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

The amount of military expertise and deep cultural insight provided by the resident self appointed experts of Thaiger's Asean Now forum is astounding. These experts with their reliance on AI generated tidbits just overflow with knowledge and experience. 🫡. Who would have expected that they would have selected Asean Now as their meeting place. 🤡

There’s a lot of good opinion & insight on this forum - it’s not a sharp comment to dismiss the whole forum with ridicule - it’s arrogant in fact… Some of us have a very intertwined & deep level of experience in the Middle East.

My hunch is that Kharg is only a diversion. What will be seized are the small islands on the Straight proper (plus a coastal strip of land).

13 hours ago, phetphet said:

In his latest post the madman says of Iran that if a deal is not reached he will “ blow up and completely obliterate all of their electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island, and possibly all desalination plants.”

He needs sectioning pretty quickly, before he drags everyone down with him.

iran gets only 3% of their water from desalination....their neighbors much much more so if/ when iran blows up their plants how exactly does major bone spurs plan to get drinking water to several million of his "arab friends". No plan ....hasn't thought about that. Maybe just let them drink oil and salt water?

38 minutes ago, connda said:

What nobody ever thinks about. How would US citizens react if the US was invaded.

That’s an oversimplified and binary question that ignores the realities of living under a theocratic authoritarian system of an unelected religious and security institution, which tightly constrains political expression and organisation.

There is clear evidence of widespread dissatisfaction - seen in repeated protest movements such as the Mahsa Amini protests - and many Iranians support significant political change.

That said, it is difficult to know how many favour outright regime overthrow, as reliable public opinion data is limited.

Rather than a lack of will, the main barriers are systemic - including repression, surveillance, and the risks associated with organised opposition - which make large-scale coordinated change extremely difficult.

So no - this cannot be compared to the US being invaded- the situation itself is completely different. Such comparisons and whatifery ignores the underlying social and political realities.

8 minutes ago, JackGats said:

My hunch is that Kharg is only a diversion. What will be seized are the small islands on the Straight proper (plus a coastal strip of land).

Completely agree - the Island of Qeshm is key to securing the safety of shipping through the Gulf.