3 days ago
President Trump told reporters that helium wants to prehend Iran’s lipid fields arsenic the six-week U.S.-Israel subject run against Iran enters a captious week with a self-imposed Tuesday deadline looming.
Key Takeaways:
- Trump stated astatine the April 6 White House Easter Egg Roll that seizing Iran’s lipid is his preferred result of the conflict.
- Iran rejected a U.S.-backed 48-hour ceasefire connected April 3, 2026, calling American proposals “illogical.”
- Trump’s April 8 deadline threatens strikes connected Iranian powerfulness plants, bridges, and lipid wells if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Trump connected Iran: ‘Take the Oil’ arsenic Negotiations Collapse Before April 8 Cutoff
Speaking astatine the White House Easter Egg Roll connected April 6, 2026, Trump said plainly: “If I had my choice, what would I similar to do? Take the oil, due to the fact that it’s determination for the taking. There’s not a happening they tin bash astir it.” He acknowledged that galore Americans privation the U.S. to triumph and withdraw, but said his idiosyncratic penchant is to clasp the lipid and make gross for the country.
The remarks travel a precocious March Financial Times interrogation successful which Trump said his “favorite happening is to instrumentality the lipid successful Iran” and raised the anticipation of seizing Kharg Island, the installation that handles astir 90 percent of Iran’s crude exports. “Maybe we instrumentality Kharg Island, possibly we don’t,” Trump said. “We person a batch of options.”
On April 3, Trump posted connected Truth Social, stating: “With a small much time, we tin easy OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, and MAKE A FORTUNE,” adding a follow-up station that read, “KEEP THE OIL, ANYONE?”
The war began connected oregon astir Feb. 28, 2026, erstwhile the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes targeting Iran’s atomic program, ballistic rocket infrastructure, and subject command. Iran responded by blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint carrying astir one-fifth of the world’s lipid supply, sending planetary vigor prices sharply higher.
Now successful its sixth week, the warfare has produced large subject losses connected some sides. U.S. quality assessments suggest Iran retains astir fractional its rocket launchers and a important kamikaze drone inventory. The Strait remains closed.
Trump issued his latest ultimatum successful an Easter Sunday station connected Truth Social laced with an F-bomb, informing of strikes connected Iranian powerfulness plants, bridges, lipid wells, and different infrastructure by Tuesday, April 8, if Tehran does not comply with U.S. demands to reopen the waterway.
Iran has rejected each ceasefire connection to date. The state turned down a 48-hour truce connection conveyed done an unnamed 3rd party, reportedly with Pakistani mediation. Iran’s Fars News Agency confirmed the rejection, with officials stating that talks cannot proceed “under threat.”
Tehran besides dismissed a 15-point U.S. model that included sanctions alleviation successful speech for atomic monitoring, rocket limitations, and reopening the Strait. A abstracted 45-day ceasefire connection mediated by Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey was similarly rebuffed. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called the American proposals “illogical.”
Iran‘s counterdemands see a afloat U.S. withdrawal from determination subject bases and fiscal compensation for harm to civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. Officials person said Iran volition extremity hostilities “when it decides to bash truthful and erstwhile its ain conditions are met.”
Under planetary law, seizing different nation’s earthy resources is broadly classified arsenic amerciable pillage nether the UN doctrine of Permanent Sovereignty implicit Natural Resources, established successful 1962. Critics reason that immoderate effort to clasp Iranian lipid fields would necessitate a sustained U.S. crushed presence, hazard wider determination escalation, and alienate cardinal allies.
Trump has drawn comparisons to earlier 2026 actions successful Venezuela, wherever the U.S. gained effectual power of lipid infrastructure pursuing the ouster of Nicolas Maduro, framing assets seizure arsenic a viable postwar economical model.
Diplomatic channels stay unfastened done determination mediators, but some sides look acold from agreement. Trump has extended immoderate deadlines portion maintaining pressure, and his Tuesday ultimatum stands arsenic of this reporting.
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