U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of the United States remaining in Iran after the war and taking control of oil revenues, drawing a comparison with Washington’s arrangement involving Venezuela.
Trump made the remarks on Sunday during his visit to Ireland, where he attended the Irish Open golf championship. He said Washington could ultimately leave Iran after the conflict but suggested that continued involvement could be considered if it served U.S. interests.
“We’ll ultimately get out, unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela,” Trump said.
He added that revenue generated from Venezuela had already covered the cost of the war several times, reinforcing his argument for retaining a financial stake in the country’s oil resources.
Trump also maintained that he expected the conflict with Iran to end before the end of the year, potentially shortly after the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November.
The president said any settlement would have to meet his terms, ruling out an agreement he considered inadequate. He also claimed that Iran had been repeatedly seeking negotiations, although Tehran has previously rejected similar assertions.
The comments introduce a potentially significant economic dimension to Washington’s approach to the conflict, as the United States weighs whether to seek a settlement or maintain involvement in Iran’s energy sector.
Trump pointed to the U.S. approach to Venezuela, where Washington announced an oil-related arrangement in August, as an example of how continued engagement could generate revenue for the United States.
His comments came as renewed instability in the Middle East continued to unsettle global oil markets. Traders were preparing for further price pressure when markets reopened on Monday following an attack on a Saudi oil pipeline.
Trump, however, predicted that fuel prices would fall sharply once the Iran conflict ends.
He said the price of gasoline would “drop like a rock” after the war, linking the anticipated decline to the restoration of stability in the region.
The latest remarks come amid continuing disruption to regional energy infrastructure and shipping routes, with the conflict already placing additional pressure on global crude and refined-product markets.
Trump’s suggestion that Washington could retain access to Iranian oil adds another layer to the uncertainty surrounding the eventual end of the conflict, particularly as negotiations and military developments continue to shape expectations for global energy supplies.