‘My favourite thing is to take Iran’s oil’: Trump on seizing Tehran's uranium, crude stockpile

Donald Trump is considering an offensive to seize Iran’s enriched uranium, officials have said. The US President has also floated the idea of capturing key oil assets such as Kharg Island. The proposed mission would involve deploying US troops to recover nearly 500 kg of enriched material, The Wall Street Journal reported.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” the US President told Financial Times in a separate interview.

The US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its second month, shows no signs of ending. Tehran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to what it calls its ‘enemies.’
This has led to oil prices being pushed up to over $120 a barrel. Kharg Island is central to Iran’s oil economy.

It handles about 90% of the country’s crude exports and serves as a key source of government revenue.

Trump has also pushed advisers to press Iran to hand over its uranium as part of a negotiated settlement to end the war. “They’re going to give us the nuclear dust,” Trump told reporters on Sunday, referring to Iran’s uranium stockpile. He also warned that Iran must comply with US demands or “they’re not going to have a country.”

Trump has also discussed targeting Iran’s oil infrastructure.

“My favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran,” he told FT. “But some stupid people back in the US say: ‘why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people.”

The comments come as US military presence in the region increases. The Pentagon has deployed thousands of troops, including Marines and paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, as part of preparations for a range of contingencies. Officials said around 10,000 additional troops could be sent to expand operational options.

Trump is reportedly weighing the risks to US forces against what he says is to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapon capabilities he claimed were destroyed during Israel’s 12-Day War on Iran last year.

A uranium recovery mission would be complex. Experts say troops would need to secure nuclear sites, clear hazards and safely transport radioactive material. The uranium is believed to be stored in fortified locations such as underground facilities in Isfahan and Natanz.

These sites, Washington earlier claimed, were destroyed in June 2025, when the US joined Israel in direct strikes on hardened Iranian nuclear facilities.

“This is not a quick in and out kind of deal,” retired General Joseph Votel, a former commander of US Central Command, told the WSJ.

The recovery process could take several days and require specialised teams trained to handle nuclear material.