US President Donald Trump said he would like to take control of Iran's oil, describing critics in the United States as"stupid" in an interview with the British newspaper Financial Times.
"To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran," Trump said in remarks published on Monday. "But some stupid people back in the US say: 'why are you doing that?' But they'restupid people," he added.
Seizing Iranian oil would likely require US forces to take KhargIsl and in the Gulf, through which roughly 90% of the country's oil exports flow. The Pentagon has reportedly deployed about 10,000troops trained for land operations, though experts warn that occupying the island could leave soldiers exposed to Iranian attacks.
Trump told the newspaper he believed Iranian defences on Kharg were weak, saying: "I don't think they have any defence. We could take it very easily," but added that US forces might need to remain there for"a while."
"Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options," he said.
Despite the threats, Trump said that indirect talks with Iran through Pakistani intermediaries were progressing. He set a new deadline off or Iran to accept an agreement to end the ongoing conflict, warning that US attacks on the Iranian energy sector could follow if no dealis reached.
Asked whether a ceasefire in coming days could reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz for global oil and gas flows,Trump declined to provide details. "We've got about 3,000 targets left - we've bombed 13,000 targets," he said, adding a deal "could be made fairly quickly."
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