President Donald Trump just sent global oil prices screaming past $116 a barrel after a blunt Sunday interview where he admitted his top goal for the current conflict is to seize Iran’s energy supply.
Speaking with the Financial Times on March 29, 2026, Trump didn’t sugarcoat his strategy, calling out his own critics in the process.
_**"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.
The President is specifically eyeing Kharg Island, the massive export hub that handles over 90% of Iran’s crude oil. Taking the island would effectively bankrupt the Iranian government overnight.
Trump compared the plan to the "Venezuela Model" from earlier this year, referencing how the U.S. gained control over that country's oil sector after the removal of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.
While the "Take the Oil" plan is his favorite, Trump warned that he’s keeping his final move a mystery, noting that he has a lot of options on the table.
The timing of these comments isn't an accident. Over the weekend, the first 3,500 of a planned 10,000 U.S. troops arrived in the region, specifically trained to "seize and hold territory."
Despite the tough talk, Trump claimed that indirect peace talks through Pakistan are "progressing very well," but he’s given Tehran a hard deadline of April 6, 2026, to sign a deal.
If a deal isn't reached by that date, the President signaled that the U.S. is ready to strike or seize Iran's entire energy infrastructure.
As the deadline fast approaches, the world is watching to see if this "Take the Oil" threat is a masterstroke in negotiation or the spark for a much larger war.