Trump Drops a Bombshell: ‘My Favourite Thing Is to Take the Oil’
In an explosive interview with the Financial Times published Sunday evening, President Donald Trump made his most provocative statement yet about the month-old Iran war — declaring that his “favourite thing” would be to seize Iran’s oil and that the U.S. could take the country’s critical Kharg Island export hub “easily.”
“To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘why are you doing that?'” Trump told the FT. “But they’re stupid people.”
The remarks immediately sent shockwaves through global energy markets and raised alarm in capitals from Tehran to Beijing. Kharg Island, a small coral outcrop roughly 15 miles off Iran’s southern coast, handles more than 90% of the country’s crude oil exports — making it arguably the most strategically valuable piece of real estate in the entire conflict.
The Kharg Island Gambit: What Would a Seizure Look Like?
Military analysts have long identified Kharg Island as a potential target in any escalation against Iran. The island’s loading capacity of roughly 7 million barrels per day makes it the jugular vein of Iran’s economy. Without it, Tehran’s ability to fund its war effort would be crippled almost overnight.
But seizing it would be no small feat. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Iran has been reinforcing defenses at Kharg Island in recent weeks, deploying additional troops and man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS). Intelligence reports indicate Tehran has also laid defensive mines around the island’s approaches.
A ground operation to take Kharg would require significant U.S. boots on the ground — a move that would dramatically escalate a conflict Trump has repeatedly promised would be over in weeks. NBC News reported that Trump’s team has refused to rule out the option, and the deployment of 2,500 additional Marines to the region last week has fueled speculation that planning is already underway.
The BBC’s analysis noted that seizing Kharg would “not only choke off Iran’s oil exports but could also provide a platform from which to carry out attacks against the mainland” — essentially turning a limited air campaign into something far more ambitious and dangerous.
Meanwhile, Trump Claims Iran Is Coming to the Table
In a seemingly contradictory move, Trump also claimed Sunday that Iran has agreed to “most of” the 15-point list of demands the U.S. conveyed via Pakistan to end the war.
The 15-point ceasefire plan, first reported by the Associated Press last week, was sent through Pakistani diplomatic channels and includes demands such as Iran abandoning its nuclear weapons program, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and dismantling its ballistic missile arsenal. Iran initially rejected the plan outright, with Tehran issuing its own counter-proposal demanding reparations and full sovereignty over the strait.
But the mixed signals from Washington — talking peace while threatening to seize Iran’s most valuable asset — have left analysts deeply skeptical about where this is actually heading.
“President Trump has poor options all around to end the war,” said Jonathan Panikoff, former U.S. deputy national intelligence officer for the Middle East. “Part of the challenge is the lack of clarity related to what a satisfactory outcome would be.”
Reuters reported that Trump has told aides he wants to avoid a “forever war” and find a negotiated exit, urging them to stress the four-to-six-week timeline he has outlined publicly. But a senior White House official admitted that such a timeline appears “shaky.”
Iran Fires Back: ‘Ground Troops Will Be Set on Fire’
Tehran’s response has been characteristically defiant. Iran’s military warned Sunday that any U.S. ground forces entering Iranian territory would be “set on fire” — a stark warning that echoes the Revolutionary Guard’s longstanding doctrine of asymmetric warfare.
Iran’s Armed Forces have accused the United States of “plotting a ground assault while publicly seeking talks,” according to the Guardian. The accusation underscores Tehran’s deep skepticism about Trump’s diplomatic overtures, which Iranian officials believe are merely a cover for military escalation.
The Revolutionary Guard also issued a chilling ultimatum regarding U.S. universities in the Middle East. After Israeli airstrikes struck two Iranian universities, the IRGC warned that American universities in the region — including institutions in Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, and Dohuk — could be targeted in retaliation unless the U.S. government “condemns the bombing of the universities in an official statement” by noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time.
The American University of Beirut has already moved all classes online in response to the threat.
Houthis Enter the Fight — and Everything Gets Worse
The war took another dangerous turn over the weekend when Yemen’s Houthi rebels officially entered the conflict, launching ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting southern Israel on March 27 and 28. Israeli air defense systems intercepted both attacks, and neither caused injuries — but the Houthis’ involvement threatens to further ensnarl global shipping in the Red Sea, already under immense stress from the Iranian stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis’ entry represents what analysts have long feared: a multi-front regional war that extends far beyond Iran’s borders. With Hezbollah already engaged in Lebanon, where Israel has expanded its “buffer zone” and at least 912 people have been killed, the conflict now stretches from Yemen to the Mediterranean.
Russia Sends Drones, Nuclear Hawks Circle
In another alarming development, U.S. and European officials told the Associated Press that Iran and Russia have held “very active” discussions in March about transferring a limited shipment of “upgraded” Russian drones to Iran. The move would represent a significant escalation of Russian support for Tehran and could dramatically enhance Iran’s strike capabilities.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Iranian hardliners have intensified calls to develop a nuclear weapon — a nightmare scenario for Western policymakers that could fundamentally alter the strategic calculus of the entire conflict. The push for nuclear breakout, long considered a red line by both the U.S. and Israel, could accelerate further if Tehran perceives that its conventional defenses are failing.
One Month In: The Numbers Tell a Grim Story
As Operation Epic Fury enters its second month, the human cost continues to mount:
- Iran: At least 1,900 people killed since February 28, according to the Iranian Red Crescent. Iran’s foreign minister previously stated that over 200 children are among the dead.
- Lebanon: 912 people killed, per the health ministry.
- U.S. forces: At least 6 service members killed in action, according to CENTCOM.
- Global economy: The worst energy supply shock in history, with the Strait of Hormuz — conduit for one-fifth of the world’s oil — largely blocked.
Australia became the latest country to take emergency economic measures, announcing Sunday it would halve its fuel excise for three months as gas prices soar worldwide.
What Comes Next: Diplomacy or Escalation?
Pakistan announced Sunday that it will host direct U.S.-Iran talks “in coming days” — a potential breakthrough that could provide the first face-to-face diplomatic channel since the war began. But with Trump simultaneously floating the seizure of Iran’s oil infrastructure while claiming Tehran is ready to deal, the signals from Washington remain deeply contradictory.
Analysts say the coming week will be critical. The April 6 deadline Trump set for the pause on strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure is approaching fast. If no deal materializes, the president faces a stark choice: escalate with potentially devastating consequences for the global economy, or accept a flawed agreement and try to declare victory.
“The Iranian government’s bet is they can take more pain for longer than their adversaries, and they might be right,” said Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
One thing is increasingly clear: at Day 30, nobody is winning this war. And the most dangerous decisions may still lie ahead.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation evolves.