US President Donald Trump said his preferred option is to seize Iranian oil, according to the British newspaper Financial Times.
Trump added that “we may seize Kharg Island, or we may not, and that would mean we would have to stay there for a while.” He also claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei is either dead or in very poor condition, saying that “we have not heard anything about him at all.”
He said he does not believe the Iranians have any real defence, stressing that the United States could seize Kharg Island “with great ease.”
Trump also indicated that talks conducted through Pakistani envoys are progressing well, adding that a deal could be reached very quickly.
He claimed that the United States had bombed 13,000 targets inside Iran, while around 3,000 targets still remained.
Trump Says Iran Accepted Most US Demands
In separate remarks, Trump said that the Iranians had agreed to most of the 15 points his administration presented to them, describing this as a sign of their seriousness. There has been no comment from the Iranian side.
When asked whether an agreement with Iran could be reached next week, Trump said, “Yes, I see that as possible, and it could happen soon.”
He also said that Iran had given the United States 20 oil tankers, with shipments set to begin tomorrow. He added, “We are dealing with a new group of people in Iran who are acting reasonably, and I consider it a new regime.”
Ground Operation Under Consideration
In the same context, officials told The Wall Street Journal that President Donald Trump is considering the option of a ground operation inside Iran to seize about 450 kilograms of enriched uranium.
The newspaper quoted a source as saying that Trump had instructed his advisers to pressure Iran into handing over its enriched uranium as a condition for ending the war, while also assessing the risks that a ground operation in Iran could pose to American forces.
The same source confirmed that Trump had made clear to his allies that Iran cannot be allowed to retain nuclear material.
Regional Diplomacy Moves Through Islamabad
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s capital Islamabad witnessed preparations for a four party meeting scheduled for Sunday, bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to launch an initiative aimed at de escalation in the war being waged by the occupation and the United States against Iran.
The Pakistani foreign minister held meetings with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, and Egyptian Foreign Minister بدر عبد العاطي, with all sides stressing that dialogue, diplomacy, and confidence building are the only path toward ending the war.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry had earlier said that its minister also held a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during which he stressed the need for de escalation as a basis for lasting peace.
