Middle East crisis live: Trump says he wants to ‘take the oil’ in Iran and could seize Kharg Island ‘easily’

US president tells Financial Times his ‘preference would be to take the oil’ but that ‘some stupid people back in the US say: “why are you doing that? ”’ Full report: Iran accuses US of plotting ground assault while publicly seeking talks Analysis: what the Houthis’ entry into the Iran war means for the conflict and the wider region Hello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the Iran war and its impact on the region, the world and the global economy. Donald Trump has said his “preference would be to take the oil” in Iran and that US forces could seize the regime’s export hub on Kharg Island, the Financial Times is reporting, as the US sends thousands of troops to the Middle East.