Trump raises explosive Iran oil plan

US President Donald Trump has suggested that Washington could maintain a presence in Iran and potentially retain access to the country’s oil, drawing a comparison with the approach his administration has pursued toward Venezuela.

Speaking during a visit to Ireland on Sunday, Trump said the United States would eventually leave Iran unless it decided to remain involved and benefit from the country’s oil resources.

“We’ll ultimately get out of Iran, unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela,” Trump said, referring to the US arrangement involving Venezuela.

Trump reiterated his expectation that the conflict with Iran would end before the close of the year, although he indicated that a resolution could come after the US midterm elections in November.

He said Washington was seeking what he described as the “right deal” and would reject any agreement that failed to meet US interests. Trump also claimed that Iran had been repeatedly seeking negotiations, although Iranian officials have previously rejected similar assertions.

The US president further said the end of the conflict could bring significant relief to American consumers, predicting that gasoline prices would fall sharply once the war was over.

The comments came as tensions in the Middle East continued to unsettle global energy markets. Oil prices have faced renewed upward pressure amid concerns over potential disruptions to supplies, including following an attack on a Saudi oil pipeline.

Trump’s remarks about Iranian oil add another dimension to Washington’s stated objectives in the conflict, linking the outcome of the war to broader US energy and economic interests.

His reference to Venezuela points to an approach in which Washington could seek financial returns from oil resources while maintaining involvement in a country facing political and economic turmoil. Trump said revenue generated through the Venezuelan arrangement had already covered the US war costs several times over.