Donald Trump has signalled a preference for seizing Iran’s oil reserves, suggesting that Washington could take control of Kharg Island, the country’s primary export hub. Speaking to the Financial Times on Sunday, the US President dismissed domestic critics of such a move as "stupid", as thousands of American troops continue to deploy to the Middle East amidst an escalating conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
The potential seizure of Kharg Island that is responsible for the vast majority of Iranian crude exports has emerged as a key strategic option for the Pentagon.
Such an intervention would likely cause further chaos in global energy markets; indeed, Brent crude surged past $116 a barrel in Asian trading on Monday, marking a rise of over 50 per cent in just one month. Trump noted that while the military has various options on the table, occupying the island would require a long-term American presence. When questioned on Iranian defences, he claimed the island could be taken "very easily".
The Pentagon has reportedly ordered 10,000 troops specialised in land seizure to the region. Several thousand personnel, including a significant contingent of Marines, have already arrived or are currently en route, joined by units from the 82nd Airborne Division. However, military experts have cautioned that attacking the island is fraught with huge risks, which include the possibility of US troops being killed and the disruption of one of the world’s most vital oil routes.
The conflict is already spreading to other territories in the region. Despite the military build-up, Trump maintained that indirect negotiations with Tehran, facilitated by Pakistani intermediaries, are progressing. He has reportedly set an April 6 deadline for Iran to agree to a deal or face targeted strikes on its energy infrastructure. While he declined to offer specific details on a ceasefire, he claimed that over 13,000 targets had already been hit and suggested a resolution could be reached "fairly quickly".
In what he described as a gesture of goodwill, Trump claimed Iran has allowed an increasing number of Pakistan-flagged tankers safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. He stated that the arrangement had been personally authorised by the Iranian parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The President also argued that Iran has effectively undergone "regime change" following the deaths of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials during the early stages of the war. Describing the current leadership as "professional" and "a totally different group", Trump repeated unverified claims that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader, is either dead or critically incapacitated, noting that he has completely disappeared from public life.
Also read: Pentagon readies weeks-long US ground ops in Iran
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