Trump suggests seizing Iran’s oil, calls US critics ‘stupid people’

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1312 EAT on Monday 30 March 2026

US President Donald Trump has suggested the United States could seize Iran’s principal oil export facility on Kharg Island, saying he would like to “take the oil,” while criticising domestic opposition to the idea.

In an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday, Trump said his proposed approach to Iran differed from that in Venezuela, where US authorities have indicated plans to oversee the oil industry for an extended period following the removal of President Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.

US President Donald Trump has reiterated his interest in seizing Iran’s oil resources, telling a British newspaper that his “favourite” option would be to take control of the country’s exports, while dismissing critics in the United States.

“To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some people back in the US say: ‘Why are you doing that?’,” Trump said. “But they’re stupid people.”

He added that Washington was weighing different options, including the possible seizure of Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” he said, noting that such a move would likely require a sustained US presence. “It would also mean we had to be there for a while.”

The remarks come as the Trump administration increases its military presence in the Middle East, with the US-Israel war on Iran now in its fifth week. Washington has deployed US Marines to the region and is considering sending thousands of additional troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.

On Saturday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said about 3,500 additional personnel had arrived in the region aboard the USS Tripoli.

US officials, speaking to The Washington Post, said internal discussions over the past month have included the possibility of seizing Kharg Island — a key oil export terminal in the Gulf that underpins much of Iran’s economy.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned on Wednesday that any attempt to seize the country’s oil infrastructure would trigger retaliatory strikes on the “vital infrastructure” of a regional state involved in such an operation, without naming the country.

On Sunday, Ghalibaf escalated his rhetoric, threatening US ground forces in the event of an invasion. “Our forces are ready to confront any deployment of American troops and will respond decisively, along with their regional allies,” he said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

Islamabad talks

Meanwhile, senior diplomats from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye met in Islamabad in an effort to lay the groundwork for de-escalation in the conflict, which has begun to rattle the global economy.

Oil prices have surged amid the fighting, with Brent crude — the international benchmark — rising more than 3% on Monday to above $116 a barrel, its highest level in nearly two weeks.

Iran’s Ministry of Health said 2,076 people have been killed since the war began, including 216 children. At least 25 deaths have also been reported in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.

The diplomatic push comes as US President Donald Trump outlined a 15-point peace proposal that critics have described as “maximalist”. Tehran has rejected the plan, instead setting out its own conditions, including an end to US-Israeli attacks, compensation for war damage and guarantees against future strikes.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said Iran had agreed to allow 20 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz — a key global shipping route — beginning Monday, describing the move as “a sign of respect”.

Asked whether a ceasefire could be reached soon, Trump said a deal was possible but suggested military operations would continue in the meantime. “A deal could be made fairly quickly,” he said, adding that thousands of potential targets remained.

Trump also repeated unverified claims that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had been injured in the conflict, saying he was “either dead or in extremely bad shape.”

-Aljazeera

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