President Donald Trump floated the idea of keeping a US presence in Iran to secure access to the country’s oil reserves, drawing an explicit parallel to Washington’s recent arrangement in Venezuela. The comments, made during a trip to Doonbeg, Ireland on September 13, came as Middle East tensions continue to rattle energy markets already on edge from a recent attack on a Saudi pipeline.
Trump pointed to an August 2026 agreement in which the US secured control over roughly 20% of Venezuela’s oil reserves, claiming the deal had financially offset war-related expenses “multiple times over.” The implication was clear: what worked in Caracas could work in Tehran.
The Venezuela blueprint
Iran’s oil infrastructure makes it a particularly high-value target for this kind of approach. Kharg Island alone handles approximately 90% of the country’s crude exports, making it one of the most strategically significant energy chokepoints on the planet.
Trump also offered a loose timeline for the Iran conflict, suggesting fighting could wrap up by the end of 2026. He noted this could come after the US midterm elections.
