‘Maybe We Take Kharg Island’: Trump Hints at Seizing Iran’s Key Oil Hub

In an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, United States President Donald Trump indicated that Washington could move to seize Iran’s strategic oil export hub on Kharg Island, a pivotal facility in the Persian Gulf, as part of the widening conflict with Tehran.

Trump said the United States was considering a range of options regarding Iran’s energy infrastructure and struck a blunt tone on his ultimate objective in the confrontation.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” the president told the Financial Times. “It would also mean we had to be there on Kharg Island for a while,” he added, underscoring that any occupation would not be short-term.

Kharg Island serves as a linchpin for Iran’s oil exports and has been a recurrent focal point of military and strategic discussion throughout the conflict.

Trump suggested the facility could be captured with relative ease, asserting: “I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily.”

Could Trump Really Seize Iran’s Oil as a Long‑Term Strategy on Kharg Island?

In an unvarnished declaration of his broader aims, 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.”

The president drew a parallel with recent U.S. policy toward Venezuela, suggesting control over Iranian oil assets could be maintained “indefinitely,” a remark that indicates Washington could pursue long-term influence over Tehran’s energy resources.

Trump also referenced developments in the Strait of Hormuz, where he said Iran’s parliament speaker had authorised the passage of oil tankers through the chokepoint that handles a significant share of global crude shipments.

“He’s the one who authorised the ships to me,” Trump said, referring to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Iran has responded to the Trump administration’s remarks with veiled but forceful warnings. Tehran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab states and new attacks if U.S. troops set foot on Iranian territory, an indication of how high tensions remain.

Iran’s Acting Defence Minister Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Ibn Reza held a telephone conversation with Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler on Sunday evening.

According to Iranian state media Press TV, General Reza “strongly condemned the brutal military aggression” against Iran, calling it a “clear violation of international law and fundamental principles of the global system,” and reiterated that Iran was exercising its “inalienable right to self-defense.”

The two ministers also discussed regional security and stability, with the Turkish defence chief expressing readiness to contribute to restoring calm, the report said.

(With inputs from ANI)