U.S. President Donald Trump has declared his intention to “take the oil in Iran” and could seize the Kharg Island export hub, in an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday, March 29.
Donald Trump reiterated in an interview with the Financial Times published Sunday evening that the United States could “take Iranian oil”, considering seizing Kharg Island, crucial for Iranian crude exports, while asserting that negotiations with Iran were “going very well”.
“Maybe we will take Kharg Island, maybe not. We have many options (…) I don’t think they have any defenses. We could take it very easily,” assured the American president, questioned by the newspaper on the state of Iranian defenses at Kharg Island.
Targeted by a U.S. attack in mid-March, this strip of land located in the northern Gulf is home to Iran’s largest oil terminal, which accounts for about 90% of its crude exports, according to a recent note from the American bank JP Morgan.
Washington is negotiating directly and indirectly with Tehran, the U.S. president also told journalists aboard Air Force One, saying he believed an agreement could be reached very soon, without ruling out the possibility that the discussions may not lead to a deal.
“We will never accept humiliation”
These comments come after Iran accused the Trump administration of claiming to want to negotiate but preparing a ground military operation. Tehran is ready to retaliate in the event of a ground attack, said the president of the Iranian parliament. “As long as the Americans want Iran’s surrender, our response is that we will never accept humiliation,” declared Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
As the conflict, triggered by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Iran, has been raging for over a month, several regional countries have come together in Pakistan to discuss proposals to end the war. Islamabad stated that it is preparing to host “significant discussions” in the coming days between the parties to the conflict, it is unclear whether the United States and Iran have agreed to participate.
For the first time since the conflict began, Yemen’s Houthis, allies of Tehran, fired missiles at Israel on Saturday, raising concerns about further escalation of the conflict.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues its operations in Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli Defense Forces to expand its operations in the southern part of the country, denouncing rocket fire from Hezbollah. Last week, the Israeli state had stated that it would take control of a “security zone” extending to the Litani River, reviving the specter of illegal occupation of Lebanon as in 1982-2000. An Israeli minister called for the annexation of Southern Lebanon.
