Trump wants to take control of Iran’s oil and Kharg Island

US President Donald Trump has said that he wants to take control of Iran’s oil and the country’s main oil hub, Kharg Island. He said this in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday (March 29). The British media outlet BBC reported this information on Monday, in a report. In the interview, Trump said, “To be honest, I want to take Iran’s oil. But some people in America say – why are we doing this? They’re stupid.”
The US president hinted at the seizure of Kharg Island, saying, “Maybe we’ll take Kharg Island, maybe we won’t. We have a lot of options. But if we take it, we’ll have to stay there for a while.” He also said, “I don’t think they have much defense. We could take it very easily.”
The BBC reported that the US has set its sights on Kharg Island because it is Iran’s largest oil terminal, which is the lifeline of Iran’s economy. Seizing the island would not only cut off Iran’s oil exports, but also open up the possibility of launching attacks on the Iranian mainland.
BBC Security Brief security analyst Mickey Kaye said that seizing the island would cut off a major source of income for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which would also affect their ability to wage war. Aaron McLean, host of the School of War podcast and CBS national security analyst, said that any US operation to seize the island would be relatively small, but it would be quite difficult.
Meanwhile, 3,500 more US troops have arrived in the Middle East amid rising tensions in the region over fears of attacks on US forces if the situation worsens. Trump said that indirect talks between the US and Iran, through Pakistan, were going well. However, he did not say whether there would be a quick ceasefire. He only said, “There could be a deal soon.”