Trump: "Could stay in Iran and seize oil"... Hints at Venezuela-style model

[Financial News] U.S. President Donald Trump revealed a plan to secure oil resources by allowing U.S. troops to remain in the region even after the conflict with Iran ends. This suggests that a method similar to the large-scale oil agreement recently concluded with Venezuela could be applied to Iran.
On the 13th (local time), foreign media outlets including political news site The Hill reported that President Trump, who is visiting Dounbeg, Ireland, told reporters, "We will eventually withdraw, but that is unless they decide to stay on the ground and keep the oil like Venezuela." Trump said, "The conflict with Iran will end after the midterm elections," adding, "The Iranian regime desperately wants a settlement and continues to reach out."
President Trump previously mentioned last week on his way to the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, that the situation in Iran would end after the midterm elections, and claimed through TruthSocial that "oil prices, which soared due to the war in Iran, will drop sharply after the conflict ends."
The U.S. administration recently signed a contract with North American Blue Energy Partners, Venezuela's second-largest private oil producer, agreeing to purchase 20% of the company's oil at production cost. Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez stated that it is a "25-year bilateral project to develop 17 strategic oil fields and produce more than 1.5 million barrels per day." The United States plans to use this volume to replenish its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).
President Trump has previously expressed his ambition to control Iran's oil resources. In an interview with the Financial Times (FT) last March, he even referred to securing oil as his "favorite thing to do."
Victoria Coates, Vice Chair of the conservative Heritage Foundation, also pointed out similarities with the case of Venezuela, stating, "The U.S. does not need Iranian oil immediately, but it could open the door for U.S. companies to enter and rebuild Iran's oil industry."
Meanwhile, U.S. oil prices continue to soar in the aftermath of Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average price of gasoline in the U.S. on this day was recorded at $4.31 per gallon, surging by more than $1.10 compared to the same period last year.

[email protected] Yoon Jae-jun Reporter