President Donald J. Trump was overheard making comments regarding the possibility of the United States taking over valuable Iranian oil resources. The comments were made in a recent interview in which President Trump said that seizing Iranian oil is his favorite option in dealing with Iran.
President Trump used Venezuela as an example in which the United States has over time sought to take control of the country’s oil resources. The president was speaking candidly as he flew on Air Force One. He also mentioned Kharg Island as an example, which is the main Iranian export for Iranian oil.
Trump Weighs Options for Kharg Island Takeover
The president, however, did not discount the possibility of direct action on the island. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times. However, he said that in order for that action to be taken, American forces would have to stay in that region for some time.
This comes at a time when oil prices have gone up by more than 50 percent in the past month. The price of Brent oil is now above $116. This is due to the conflict that is ongoing between the US, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28.
US Troops Deploy as Regional Tensions Rise
Meanwhile, the Pentagon continues to deploy more troops to the region. As a matter of fact, the authorities have already dispatched around 3,500 troops, including 2,200 Marines, and are planning to deploy another 10,000. The soldiers are specialized in ground combat and are ready to help the US escalate operations in the region.
Nevertheless, Iran retaliated against the initial offensive by launching drone and missile attacks on numerous countries, leading to further casualties.
