Trump Says US Could Become ‘Occupier’ In Iran
(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump suggested Friday that the United States could assume an occupying role in Iran, claiming that Washington has taken control of the Strait of Hormuz and is extracting unprecedented quantities of oil from the strategically important waterway.
Speaking to reporters following an address at a NASA facility in Florida, Trump compared the US confrontation with Iran to the Russia-Ukraine war, claiming that fighting between Moscow and Kyiv had resulted in 25,000 deaths during October.
"That’s called a war," Trump said, referring to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
He argued that the confrontation with Iran, now in its ninth month, should not be classified as a war because "nobody's even wounded" in recent months.
"All we are is maybe an occupier. (We) could be an occupier," he added.
Trump also repeated his assertion that Washington controls the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route for global energy supplies.
"We control the Hormuz Strait," he said. "We’re taking out more oil now than we have at any time in the history of the Hormuz Strait."
When questioned about reports of US military strikes near Iran's Qeshm Island on Friday, Trump initially declined to provide details but acknowledged that American forces had conducted limited operations.
"I don't want to talk about. We do minor strikes," he said.
He further claimed that Iranian forces had established an anti-aircraft installation that US forces destroyed within minutes.
The comments followed Trump's confirmation earlier this week that American forces had targeted an Iranian air defense facility on Qeshm Island. He characterized the operation as a limited strike rather than a resumption of full-scale military hostilities.
Tehran has dismissed Washington's claims of controlling the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining that Iran retains strategic authority over the waterway and will not reopen it until its demands are fulfilled.
The United States and Israel launched their military offensive against Iran on Feb. 28. A ceasefire was subsequently reached in April, followed by a memorandum in June intended to pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement. However, diplomatic negotiations have yet to produce a final settlement.
Speaking to reporters following an address at a NASA facility in Florida, Trump compared the US confrontation with Iran to the Russia-Ukraine war, claiming that fighting between Moscow and Kyiv had resulted in 25,000 deaths during October.
"That’s called a war," Trump said, referring to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
He argued that the confrontation with Iran, now in its ninth month, should not be classified as a war because "nobody's even wounded" in recent months.
"All we are is maybe an occupier. (We) could be an occupier," he added.
Trump also repeated his assertion that Washington controls the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route for global energy supplies.
"We control the Hormuz Strait," he said. "We’re taking out more oil now than we have at any time in the history of the Hormuz Strait."
When questioned about reports of US military strikes near Iran's Qeshm Island on Friday, Trump initially declined to provide details but acknowledged that American forces had conducted limited operations.
"I don't want to talk about. We do minor strikes," he said.
He further claimed that Iranian forces had established an anti-aircraft installation that US forces destroyed within minutes.
The comments followed Trump's confirmation earlier this week that American forces had targeted an Iranian air defense facility on Qeshm Island. He characterized the operation as a limited strike rather than a resumption of full-scale military hostilities.
Tehran has dismissed Washington's claims of controlling the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining that Iran retains strategic authority over the waterway and will not reopen it until its demands are fulfilled.
The United States and Israel launched their military offensive against Iran on Feb. 28. A ceasefire was subsequently reached in April, followed by a memorandum in June intended to pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement. However, diplomatic negotiations have yet to produce a final settlement.
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