'Favorite thing is to take oil…': Trump contradicts 'don’t need Iran oil' stance, hints at seizing Kharg Island
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Favorite thing is to take oil…': Trump contradicts 'don’t need Iran oil' stance, hints at seizing Kharg Island")
US President Donald Trump, in a combination image with Strait of Hormuz in background Photograph: (AFP/ via Planet Lab)
Trump said the US could take Iran’s Kharg Island “very easily,” calling it undefended. He stressed the US did not attack Iran for oil but seeks a secure Strait of Hormuz, while Pentagon considers ground operations without a full-scale invasion.
US President Donald Trump has hinted at overtaking Iran's Kharg Island “very easily” stating that it is his favourite thing to take oil from Iran. His statement comes in contrast with what he said on Day 18 of the war that the US did not attack Iran for oil. The statement is also seen at the backdrop of thousands of US troops reaching West Asia amid reports of possible ground operations, that include raids in Strait of Hormuz and seizure of Kharg Island. According to AFP, Kharg Island, located off the west coast of Iran, is a vital oil terminal.
Speaking to Financial Times in an interview on Sunday (Mar 29), Trump said, "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.”Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options. It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while. Asked about Iran’s defensive capabilities on the island, Trump said: "I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily.” In the same interview, he spoke about Mojtaba Khamenei's health negotiations with Iran and regime change. He repeated the same in press gabble aboard Air Force One.
Trump contradicts his previous stance AGAIN!
Trump on Mar 16 had said that the US did not attack Iran for oil, adding that he wants a secure Strait of Hormuz because of other countries. “We don't need oil. We have all the oil we need for ourselves. Its one of the great asset that we have. We have doubled, more than double, what anybody else, in terms of oil production than any other country...so we don't need it. But, we did it because we have some good allies there...you can almost say we didn't, it happened. We have some great Middle Eastern countries there, Israel there, so we did it for a lot of reason but it always remains there that we did it. We never asked for reimbursement and we were really there to save other countries, not us.”
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What more Trump said in the interview?
About the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump said that he may be alive but he is seriously wounded. In FT interview, he said, "The son is either dead or in extremely bad shape," Trump said. “We've not heard from him at all. He's gone.” Hinting a green light towards the peace plan, Trump said that the Iranians have allowed to pass US oil boats to pass through Strait of Hormuz as a gift. He claimed that Iran is decimated and are ready to give up nuclear weapons. He also said that they have no reason to not accpet his 15-point peace plan.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
