President Donald Trump has floated keeping a US presence in Iran to secure access to its oil reserves, comparing the idea to Washington's recent Venezuela arrangement. He made the remarks while traveling in Ireland, as a recent attack on a Saudi pipeline keeps energy markets on edge.
President Trump raised the idea of maintaining a US presence in Iran to secure the country's oil, drawing an explicit parallel to Washington's recent arrangement in Venezuela. He made the comments during a trip to Doonbeg, Ireland, on September 13, as Middle East tensions rattle energy markets already unsettled by a recent attack on a Saudi pipeline.
Trump pointed to an August 2026 agreement in which the US secured control over roughly 20% of Venezuela's oil reserves, saying the deal had offset war-related expenses multiple times over. The implication: what worked in Caracas could work in Tehran.
Iran's oil infrastructure makes it a high-value target for this kind of approach. Kharg Island alone handles approximately 90% of the country's crude exports, making it one of the most strategically significant energy chokepoints in the world.
Trump also offered a loose timeline for the Iran conflict, suggesting fighting could wrap up by the end of 2026 and noting this could come after the US midterm elections. On the consumer side, he predicted gasoline prices would "drop like a rock" once hostilities end.
A recent attack on a Saudi pipeline has added fresh volatility to crude prices, reminding traders that Middle East energy infrastructure remains a perpetual target.
Source: Crypto Briefing
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