Trump Tells Financial Times: “My Favourite Thing Is to Take the Oil in Iran” and Signals Possible Seizure of Kharg Island
In a candid interview with the Financial Times, U.S. President Donald Trump has openly stated his preference to seize Iran’s oil resources and indicated that Washington could move to capture Kharg Island Iran’s primary oil export hub responsible for over 90% of the country’s crude exports.
“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,” Trump told the FT.
When asked about Iranian defences on Kharg Island, the President said: “I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily.” He added: “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” while noting that any such operation would require a sustained U.S. presence.
Trump drew parallels to the recent U.S. operation in Venezuela, where American forces effectively gained long-term control of the country’s oil sector. The remarks come as the Pentagon deploys thousands of additional troops to the Middle East amid ongoing tensions.
Source: Exclusive interview with *Financial Times* (published March 30, 2026)