President Donald Trump suggested on September 13 that the United States might remain in Iran to secure its oil reserves, drawing a parallel to recent U.S. actions in Venezuela. Speaking to reporters at his Trump International golf course in Ireland, Trump addressed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has heavily impacted global energy markets.
"We'll ultimately get out (of Iran), unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela," Trump said. He claimed that U.S. revenue generated from Venezuela has already "paid for the war many times."
The president's remarks refer to an August announcement in which he claimed the U.S. secured majority control of over 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's proven oil reserves through a private-sector partnership. That arrangement was welcomed by Delcy Rodriguez, who took over as Venezuela's interim leader after the U.S. seized President Nicolas Maduro in January. Rodriguez stated the deal would support the Venezuelan economy and government revenues.
Trump did not offer further details regarding a potential oil agreement involving Iran, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have previously denied similar characterizations of negotiations with the United States.
The ongoing conflict in Iran remains unpopular with many Americans as it continues to drive up domestic fuel costs. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from late last month indicated that only a quarter of Americans believe the war in Iran is worthwhile, a decline from earlier in the year.
Global gas prices have also been disrupted for months by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to AAA, the average national price for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.31 on September 13. Despite the public backlash, Trump has defended the military campaign, maintaining that the U.S. had to target Iran's nuclear capabilities.
During his media appearance in Ireland, Trump also touched on technology, defending artificial intelligence following an essay by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei that urged greater safety precautions for AI development.
