Washington could seize Tehran\u2019s resources like it did in Venezuela, the US president has said<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington could either end its war with Iran or remain in the country and \u201ckeep the oil.\u201d Trump has repeatedly threatened to take over the Islamic Republic\u2019s oil infrastructure, prompting Iranian officials to describe the plan as delusional.
\nSpeaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said the conflict, which has dragged on for more than six months, could end \u201cright after\u201d the November 3 midterm elections and claimed Iran \u201cwants to make a deal so bad\u201d and was \u201ccalling constantly.\u201d
\nIran has repeatedly dismissed claims it is seeking negotiations as \u201cfabrications,\u201d adding that Washington is mistaking diplomacy for \u201cdictation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Iran retaliates after US strikes on oil tankers (VIDEOS)<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll ultimately get out, unless we decide to stay and keep the oil, like Venezuela,\u201d Trump later said.
\nThe comparison refers to the oil deal Washington struck with Caracas after US forces kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January.<\/p>\n
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Venezuelan oil is \u2018victor\u2019s spoils\u2019 \u2013 Trump<\/p>\n
In August, Trump announced a deal giving a private venture concessions over 17 Venezuelan oil fields representing about 65 billion barrels of reserves, with the US government receiving equity and preferential rights to buy production. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, however, insisted that her country \u201cretains ownership and sovereignty over its resources.\u201d
\nTrump has repeatedly floated an idea of establishing control over Iran\u2019s oil flows. In late March, when asked whether Washington could take control of Iranian oil, he replied: \u201cIt\u2019s an option.\u201d In June, he went further, threatening to seize Kharg Island \u2013 a key hub handling about 90% of Tehran\u2019s crude exports \u2013 and \u201cassume total control\u201d of Iran\u2019s oil and gas markets.
\nAt the time, Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament\u2019s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, called Trump \u201cdelusional and confused\u201d over the Kharg threat and warned that any move on Iranian territory would bring a response \u201crecorded in history.\u201d
\nThroughout the conflict, US media reported that Washington considered seizing Kharg Island, although Pentagon officials reportedly viewed the operation as exceptionally risky. Multiple media reports have also suggested that the US military was suffering from depleting stocks of air defense and cruise missiles \u2013 a claim Trump has denied.
\nThe comments follow a new escalation in the conflict, with the US military claiming to have destroyed several Iranian oil tankers. Iran, in turn, retaliated by claiming attacks on ten vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, including two US Navy ships and eight tankers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Washington could seize Tehran\u2019s resources like it did in Venezuela, the US president has said US President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington could either end its war with Iran…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38063,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t