Trump threatens to seize Iranian oil
US President Donald Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times that he “wants to seize Iranian oil,” adding that he could take control of Kharg Island, the main center for Iran’s oil exports, while describing the current leaders in Tehran as “very rational.”
He stressed that Tehran had agreed to allow around twenty oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning and for several days “as a gesture of respect.”
He also announced that his country and Iran were holding “direct and indirect” talks, and that the new leaders in Tehran were acting “very rationally,” while additional US forces were arriving in the region, and Tehran warned that it would not accept humiliation.
The US president’s statements came after Pakistan, which plays a mediating role between Tehran and Washington, announced that it was preparing to host “meaningful talks” in the coming days aimed at ending the month-long war with Iran.
Trump also told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Washington: “I think we will make a deal with them, I’m sure of it, but it’s possible we won’t,” adding that he believed the United States had already achieved regime change in Tehran after the strikes resulted in the death of the country’s Supreme Leader and other senior officials.
An Israeli strike at the beginning of the war on February 28 resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was replaced by his son Mojtaba Khamenei.
The war has spread across the Middle East, causing thousands of deaths, triggering the largest disruption ever recorded in energy supplies, and affecting the global economy.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that talks held on Sunday between regional foreign ministers focused on ways to end the war as quickly as possible and on the possibility of holding talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad.
He added: “Pakistan is pleased to host and facilitate serious talks between the two sides in the coming days in order to reach a comprehensive and lasting settlement to the ongoing conflict.” It was not yet clear whether the United States and Iran had agreed to participate in these talks.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States of sending messages about potential negotiations while secretly planning to deploy ground forces, adding that Iran was prepared to respond if the United States deployed troops on the ground.
He said: “As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, our response will be that we will never accept humiliation.” The US Department of Defense has sent thousands of troops to the Middle East, giving Trump the option of launching a ground attack.
An Israeli official stated that there was no intention to reduce attacks against Iran before any potential talks between Washington and Tehran, and that Israel would continue striking what it described as military targets.
For his part, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that he wanted greater clarity from Trump regarding the objectives of the ongoing war in Iran, adding: “I want to see more clarity about the war’s objectives, and I want to see de-escalation.”
