In a blunt sit-down with the Financial Times on Sunday, President Donald Trump revealed what he calls his “favorite” option in the escalating showdown with Iran: grab the oil.
“To be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the U.S. say: ‘why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people,” Trump said flatly.
The outlet pointed to Kharg Island — the critical artery through which most of Iran’s crude flows — as the likely target. Trump has been eyeing the island for decades, even boasting back in 1988 that he’d “do a number” on it.
Critics warn such a move would be a powder keg. The Financial Times noted that striking Kharg Island could be “risky and [raise] the chances of more U.S. casualties,” not to mention drag the conflict out even longer.
Trump, however, sounded unfazed. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” he said. “It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.” And if there were any doubts about his confidence, he brushed them aside quickly: “I don’t think they have any defense. We could take it very easily.”
The high-stakes rhetoric comes just weeks after a dramatic escalation — a joint U.S.-Israeli strike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on day one of the war. Since then, dozens of top figures from Tehran’s ruling regime have been wiped out. Trump even cracked last week that he’s hesitant to name who he’s negotiating with — out of concern they might not survive long enough to make a deal.
As for whether Iran has already undergone a power shift, Trump says the answer is yes. “The people we’re dealing with are a totally different group of people . . . [They] are very professional,” he said.
Behind the scenes, the U.S. is clearly bracing for more than just talk. Thousands of troops have surged into the region in recent days, including 2,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. That buildup comes despite Trump’s claim earlier in the week that he held “very strong talks” with Iranian leaders aimed at ending the conflict — a sign that diplomacy and firepower are now moving in parallel.
Meanwhile, the global oil market is already feeling the heat.
Prices have skyrocketed as shipping traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a crawl. A barrel of crude surged to $101 Sunday night — a stunning 51% jump from the $67.02 price tag just before Operation Epic Fury kicked off on Feb. 28.
