Trump Says He Got 'Gift' From Iran's Ghalibaf, Hints At Kharg Seizure For Taking Oil

US President Donald Trump has indicated that America could "take the oil in Iran" and seize the Kharg Island-- Tehran's main oil export hub-- as war in the Middle East continued into its fifth week. Talking to the Financial Times, the American commander-in-chief said his "preference would be to take the oil", comparing the US military operation in Iran with those in Venezuela earlier this year, where Washington gained control of the oil industry following the capture of the Latin American nation's leader, Nicolas Maduro.

The Kharg Oil Threat

"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?' But they're stupid people,” Trump told the FT.

He suggested the move could mean taking Kharg Island. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options...It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.”

The US leader's remarks came as the conflict spilt across the Gulf nations, raising the risk of attacks on energy infrastructure and sending crude oil prices soaring. They also came after a Washington Post report claimed that the Pentagon was preparing for weeks of potential ground conflict by sending around 10,000 troops to Iran. Around 3,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines, reached there last week, and 2,200 Marines, along with thousands more from the 82nd Airborne Division, are on the way.

But experts have warned that any ground operation on Iran's export hub could leave US troops in great peril and prolong rather than shorten the war. Kharg sits 16 miles (26 km) from Iran's coast in the northern end of the Gulf, about 300 miles (483 km) northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. The island handles 90 per cent of Iran's oil exports, and seizing it would give the United States the ability to severely disrupt Iran's energy trade, placing enormous pressure on Tehran's economy.

But experts have warned that Tehran could opt to lay mines to target shipping, including floating mines deployed from the coast, which would make the region even more hazardous for shipping, which has already been significantly disrupted by the conflict.

ALSO READ: US Could "Take Out" Iran's Kharg Island Any Time: White House

'More Iran Targets'

Asked about potential risks, Trump told the publication, "I don't think they have any defence. We could take it very easily."

He also claimed that indirect negotiations between the US and Iran, facilitated by Pakistani "emissaries", were ongoing and making positive progress. But he declined to offer details about whether a potential deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached in the coming days. Trump has set an April 6 deadline for Tehran to agree to terms to end the conflict or face US strikes on its energy infrastructure.

"We've got about 3,000 targets left, we've bombed 13,000 targets and another couple of thousand targets to go," Trump said, adding, "A deal could be made fairly quickly".

'Iranian Gift'

Trump also told FT that as a "present" to Washington, Tehran had allowed more Pakistan-flagged oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. According to the US leader, the number had increased from 10 to 20, although this could not be independently verified.

"They gave us 10. Now they're giving 20, and the 20 have already started, and they're going right up the middle of the Strait," he said. 

Trump further claimed that Iran's speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who, according to US media reports, was the president's choice for the next supreme leader, had authorised the additional shipments.

"He's the one who authorised the ships to me," Trump said. 

'Regime Change'

Trump further claimed that Tehran was witnessing a "regime change" following the killing of long-time Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials in early strikes."The people we're dealing with are a totally different group of people . . . [They] are very professional," he said.

On Mojtaba Khamenei

He also reiterated his claim that the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be dead or seriously injured. "The son is either dead or in extremely bad shape," Trump said. "We've not heard from him at all. He's gone." 

ALSO READ: Mojtaba's New Message, Days After Trump's 'Don't Know If He's Alive' Claim

Tehran has maintained that the country's leadership remains intact, insisting that Mojtaba Khamenei was safe despite his continued absence from public view.