United States President Donald Trump told the Financial Times he would “take the oil in Iran” by seizing its export hub on Kharg Island, and dismissed US critics as “some stupid people”. He said: “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” and acknowledged that holding it “would also mean we had to be there [on Kharg Island] for a while.”
Trump contrasted plans for Iran with the US approach to Venezuela, where Washington intends to control the oil industry “indefinitely” after the January abduction of Nicolás Maduro. He also claimed Iran had agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz “out of a sign of respect”.
The administration has reinforced forces in the Middle East as the US-Israel war with Iran continues into its fifth week. Marines have been deployed, plans to send thousands from the 82nd Airborne have been discussed, and US Central Command said about 3,500 additional troops arrived aboard the USS Tripoli. US officials told The Washington Post that administration discussions have covered the possible seizure of Kharg Island, a key Iranian export terminal.
Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum describes Kharg as the energy sector’s vital nerve centre: it receives crude from major offshore fields via subsea pipelines to onshore processing before storage or shipment. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned any attempt to seize the island would be met with targeted strikes on the “vital infrastructure” of any regional country that assists such an operation. He also threatened US troops, saying “Our men are waiting for the arrival of the American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all,” according to IRNA.
Regional diplomacy continued in Islamabad, where top diplomats from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye met to prepare for de‑escalation efforts as the conflict disrupts the global economy. Oil prices rose, with Brent topping $116 a barrel.
Casualty figures reported by Iran’s Ministry of Health put the war toll at 2,076 killed, including 216 children; at least 25 people have died in Gulf Cooperation Council states. Trump has proposed a 15‑point peace plan critics call “maximalist”; Tehran rejected it and set its own conditions, including an end to US‑Israeli attacks, reparations for damage and security guarantees.
On negotiations, Trump said: “We’ve got about 3,000 targets left – we’ve bombed 13,000 targets – and another couple of thousand targets to go. A deal could be made fairly quickly.” He added, “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 also repeated claims about Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, asserting the leader’s son was “either dead or in extremely bad shape” and that “We’ve not heard from him at all. He’s gone.” Tehran insists its leadership is safe and has rejected suggestions otherwise.