Trump Wants Iran's Oil Island
Donald Trump suggests seizing Iran's Kharg Island, a key oil export hub, calling it profitable
Key Points
Trump said Kharg Island is about 20 miles off Iran’s shallow coastline and “accounts for more than 90% of Iran’s oil exports,” describing it as a crucial outcrop in the Persian Gulf.
In a prior Truth Social post, Trump said the island is made of hard coral and forms a natural geological platform rising from the Persian Gulf—an additional detail he referenced alongside his desire to seize it.
Despite saying he does not want “boots on the ground,” Trump told Fox News, “if I wanted to, we could put a small group of soldiers and take over the whole place.”
Fox News reports Trump drew a comparison to Venezuela, saying the approach is “brilliant” and likening his Kharg Island push to U.S. actions there.
Trump told Fox & Friends that Americans “would like to see us come home,” and he described Iran as “dying to make a deal” and “being decimated.”
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that seizing Kharg Island — the hub handling more than 90% of Iran's oil exports — has "always been" his preference, even as he admitted Americans may not have the "stomach" for such a move. Fox News reported Trump made the comments in a phone interview with Fox & Friends on June 11, just hours after threatening to hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT" in a Truth Social post.
Trump said the U.S. had already dropped "$250 million worth of bombs" on Iran in a single night and that the country is "in submission" and "dying to make a deal." Yet he insisted talks are ongoing and that he would rather avoid hitting bridges and power plants — a sign the administration is keeping diplomatic doors open even as it threatens escalation.
Why Kharg Island Is Iran's Economic Lifeline
Kharg Island sits roughly 21 miles off Iran's coast in the northern Persian Gulf. It is a small, 5-mile-long coral outcrop, but its strategic weight is enormous. CBS News noted Trump called it a "natural geological platform" made of "hard coral" that rises from the sea floor and supports massive oil-loading terminals. Losing it would effectively end Iran's ability to sell oil abroad.
Iran currently produces about 2.33 million barrels of oil per day, according to Al-Monitor, already down 18% due to a U.S. naval blockade. Seizing Kharg would cut off what remains. Global oil prices have already jumped roughly 50% since the war began in late February, now hovering between $93 and $104 per barrel.
Trump Wants the Island but Admits the Risks
Trump told Fox & Friends, "if I wanted to, we could put a small group of soldiers and take over the whole place." But he also said Americans "would like to see us come home," suggesting he knows a ground operation would be deeply unpopular. TASS reported Trump specifically questioned whether American society has the readiness for that kind of escalation.
Trump compared the Kharg move to U.S. actions in Venezuela, calling the approach "brilliant" and saying the Venezuela model "worked out great for everybody," according to Fox News. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer shot back on the Senate floor, calling the broader conflict a "fiasco" and a "disastrous war" and arguing that seizing the island is simply a "ground invasion" dressed up in different language.
Military Analysts Warn of a Costly Ground Presence
Taking the island quickly may be feasible, but holding it is a different problem. Analysts say Kharg's position — just 21 miles from the Iranian mainland — puts any stationed troops within easy range of Iranian missiles, drones, and artillery. Energy Now cited Foundation for Defense of Democracies experts who warned that thousands of soldiers could be needed to defend the island from constant coastal bombardment.
Retired Brigadier General John Teichert cautioned that while the island is a "cash register," seizing it risks locking the U.S. into a "forever war" rather than the swift "submission" Trump expects. Iran has previously warned that any move against its energy infrastructure would trigger "severe retaliation" against U.S.-linked assets across the entire region.
Diplomacy Still Alive as Bombs Keep Falling
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, Trump said Iran is "dying to make a deal" and the U.S. is still talking with Tehran. Al-Monitor reported that Vice President JD Vance may lead a diplomatic delegation to Islamabad for indirect talks with Iran, even as U.S. strikes continue. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has been engaged in ceasefire negotiations through Pakistani mediators.
Trump said he would prefer to avoid targeting civilian infrastructure like bridges and power plants — a notable restraint given his escalatory tone. About 60% of Americans supported the initial "precision strikes" on Iran, according to recent polling, but support for any ground invasion remains far lower. The administration appears to be threading a very narrow needle.
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