President Donald Trump said Sunday that the US was ‘already’ taking control of the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran’s leadership warns Washington is secretly preparing a ground invasion.
Trump claimed Tehran was ‘basically begging’ for peace negotiations and the regime was desperate to cut a deal after suffering what he characterized as heavy losses on the battlefield.
‘Anyone who was decimated would want that, right?’ Libby Alon of C14Israel recalled Trump saying in a phone conversation when asked about the status of peace negotiations.
When asked whether the US could take control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump replied: ‘Yes, of course, it’s already happening.’
The strategically vital waterway, which serves as a conduit for roughly one-fifth of global oil supply, has been partially closed by Iran. The result has sent oil prices skyrocketing.
Trump also referred to the essential waterway as the ‘Strait of Trump,’ something he made a pointed joke about during a speech on Friday.
‘We’re negotiating now, and it would be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up. They have to open up the Strait of Trump – I mean Hormuz,’ Trump said at the Saudi-backed Future Investment Initiative Priority forum in Miami, prompting laughter before adding: ‘Excuse me, I’m so sorry… there’s no accidents with me.’
In a separate interview with the Financial Times, Trump went even further – openly discussing seizing Iran’s oil infrastructure.
Donald Trump said the US is ‘already’ taking control of the Strait of Hormuz during a phonecall with a journalist on Sunday
The president was discussing how any peace deal with Iran would have to come with a reopening of the waterway which is currently being blocked amid the war with Iran
Libby Alon of C14Israel said Trump told her Iran is ‘basically begging’ for a deal. Trump said ‘yes of course it’s already happening’ when asked about controlling the Strait of Hormuz
‘To be honest with you, my favorite 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,’ he said.
Trump specifically pointed to Kharg Island, through which most of Iran’s oil exports flow, as a potential target.
‘Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,’ he said. ‘It would also mean we had to be there [on Kharg Island] for a while.’
Asked about Iranian defenses on the oil-rich island, Trump added: ‘I don’t think they have any defense. We could take it very easily.’
He compared the idea to US involvement in Venezuela, suggesting Washington could control oil production ‘indefinitely.’
The stakes were already rippling across global markets Sunday night. Brent crude surged above $116 a barrel, near its highest level since the conflict began. after jumping more than 50 percent in a month.
Trump said indirect talks with Iran, conducted via Pakistani intermediaries, are ‘going very well,’ but he also issued a stark ultimatum.
He has set an April 6 deadline for Tehran to accept a deal – or face strikes on its energy sector.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the U.S. of ‘secretly planning a ground invasion’ while offering negotiations. Ghalibaf said Iranian forces are ‘waiting’ for American troops and ready
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints, with roughly one-fifth of global supply typically passing through its narrow waters
‘We’ve got about 3,000 targets left – we’ve bombed 13,000 targets – and another couple of thousand targets to go,’ Trump said. ‘A deal could be made fairly quickly.’
Trump also made a series of claims about shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran had allowed tankers through as a gesture.
‘They gave us 10,’ he said. ‘Now they’re giving 20 and the 20 have already started and they’re going right up the middle of the Strait.’
He claimed Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the country’s parliament speaker, personally authorized the move.
‘He’s the one who authorized the ships to me’, Trump said. ‘Remember I said they’re giving me a present? And everyone said: “What’s the present? Bulls***.” When they heard about that they kept their mouth shut and the negotiations are going very well.’
In the same FT interview, Trump claimed Iran had effectively already undergone regime change following the reported deaths of senior leaders.
‘The people we’re dealing with are a totally different group of people . . . [They] are very professional,’ he said.
He also repeated unverified claims about Mojtaba Khamenei, saying: ‘The son is either dead or in extremely bad shape… We’ve not heard from him at all. He’s gone.’
A smartphone screen displaying the MarineTraffic map shows a high concentration of ship beacons in the Strait of Hormuz
Tehran, however, has insisted its leadership remains intact and has dismissed speculation about internal upheaval.
Even as Trump spoke of negotiations, Iranian officials were issuing stark warnings of an impending military escalation.
Ghalibaf has accused the United States of duplicity – claiming diplomacy is being used as cover for a looming invasion.
‘The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation while secretly planning a ground invasion – unaware that our men are waiting for American troops to enter on the ground, ready to unleash devastation upon them and punish their regional allies permanently,’ Ghalibaf said.
He added: ‘As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, the answer of your sons remains clear: ‘Far be it from us to accept humiliation.’
The warning comes as the USS Tripoli, an American amphibious assault ship carrying roughly 3,500 service members, has arrived in the Middle East, according to US Central Command.
Trump also emphasized what he described as close alignment with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing conflict.
‘Coordination is very close – full coordination we have a good relationship. It couldn’t be better,’ Trump said, according to Alon’s account of the conversation.
He went further, delivering a direct message to the Israeli public.
‘I love Israel. Love the people of Israel and I’m very proud and happy about their support. A poll this morning show they have 99% support. No one has ever experienced anything like this so I’m very proud.’
Donald Trump suggested he may be set to give the Strait of Hormuz the Kennedy Center treatment after naming it for himself during a speech in Miami on Friday
The Strait of Hormuz has become the focal point of the confrontation.
The narrow passage, long considered one of the most critical arteries in global energy supply, has been effectively choked by the conflict, sending shockwaves through oil markets and raising fears of a broader regional war.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned earlier that Iran could attempt to impose a ‘tolling system’ on vessels transiting the strait, signaling a potential long-term disruption to international shipping.
At the same time, diplomatic efforts are underway. Pakistan is hosting talks involving the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia aimed at de-escalating the crisis, even as rhetoric on both sides hardens.
