President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to seize Iran's main oil export hub, Kharg Island, and assume "total control" of the country's oil and gas markets, drawing a direct line to the U.S. operation in Venezuela as a template for what could come next in Iran."At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the move would mirror what Washington "has with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States."The post came hours after a fresh round of U.S. strikes on Wednesday rattled an already fragile ceasefire, with Iran responding by declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed and claiming hits on the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Trump told Fox News the U.S. would "bomb the s—" out of Iran tonight if Tehran declines to sign a peace agreement. Iran's foreign ministry condemned what it called "blatant aggression" and called the ceasefire "meaningless."The Venezuela comparison isn't rhetorical, either... In January, after capturing Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration moved quickly to take control of Venezuela’s oil sector, marketing crude through U.S.-controlled accounts and issuing a series of OFAC licenses to allow American firms to invest in and operate Venezuelan oil infrastructure. Trump said the proceeds would be "controlled by me, as President of the United States."The Iran play would be far more complicated. Kharg Island sits roughly 25 kilometers off Iran's southwestern coast and handles about 90% of the country's crude exports, loading millions of barrels daily onto tankers bound largely for Asia. The U.S. already bombed military targets on the island in March, though Trump explicitly spared the oil infrastructure. Seizing and holding it would require ground forces — a significant escalation — and Iran has previously warned that any occupation of its islands would "shatter all restraint."Trump himself acknowledged the difficulty, telling Fox News he’s not sure "America has the stomach" to take Kharg Island.The broader context matters. The war, which began on Feb. 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has triggered what analysts are calling the biggest oil supply disruption in history. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global energy flows, has been effectively closed since the war began. Ceasefire talks have repeatedly stalled, and this week’s tit-for-tat exchange, sparked by Iran shooting down a U.S. Apache helicopter near Hormuz, raised fresh fears of a return to all-out conflict.Oil markets are taking it mostly in stride, for now. Brent and WTI were both down about 0.6% on the day, having pulled back sharply from highs above $100 on optimism over ceasefire negotiations. Trump claimed Wednesday that U.S. forces have been "sneaking millions of barrels of oil out of the strait", part of his case that prices have stayed manageable despite the disruption. The math, as Al Jazeera noted, is questionable.What’s not questionable is the template Trump keeps reaching for: resource control through force, dressed up as liberation. Venezuela was sold the same way. Whether the market will believe the Iran version depends on whether the ceasefire holds past tonight.By Michael Kern for Oilprice.comMore Top Reads From Oilprice.comIndia Secures Crude Supply Through August with Higher UAE ImportsAnother Gulf Producer Joins Dark-Mode Tanker Traffic Through HormuzSanctioned Private Chinese Refiner Seeks Non-Iranian Crude