Trump tells FT he wants to 'take the oil in Iran' — signals Kharg Island seizure as preferred option

US President Donald Trump told the Financial Times in an interview published March 30 that he wants to 'take the oil in Iran,' describing it as his 'favourite' option in the conflict. He specifically referenced Kharg Island — Iran's primary oil export hub, handling over 90% of Iran's crude exports — saying the US could seize it 'easily.' Trump acknowledged that US troops would have to remain deployed at the site 'for a while' after any seizure. '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 said, per the FT. The statement is a qualitative shift from previous reporting that Trump had 'not yet approved' Pentagon planning for Kharg Island raids. By publicly naming Kharg as a preferred military-economic target, Trump is signaling maximum pressure on Tehran while also revealing US war aims that go beyond nuclear site destruction. Iran has not yet publicly responded to the specific Kharg Island remarks, though Iranian officials had already warned of retaliation against any US ground operation. Kharg Island is located approximately 25 km off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf and handles the export of roughly 1.5–2 million barrels per day of Iranian crude oil. Its destruction or seizure would effectively halt Iranian oil revenues.