Middle East crisis live: Trump says he wants to ‘take the oil’ in Iran and could seize Kharg Island ‘easily’
US president tells Financial Times his ‘preference would be to take the oil’ but that ‘some stupid people back in the US say: “why are you doing that?”’Full report: Iran...
By Adam Fulton · The Guardian World
US president tells Financial Times his ‘preference would be to take the oil’ but that ‘some stupid people back in the US say: “why are you doing that?”’ Full report: Iran accuses US of plotting ground assault while publicly seeking talks Analysis: what the Houthis’ entry into the Iran war means for the conflict and the wider region Hello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the Iran war and its impact on the region, the world and the global economy. Donald Trump has said his “preference would be to take the oil” in Iran and that US forces could seize the regime’s export hub on Kharg Island, the Financial Times is reporting, as the US sends thousands of troops to the Middle East. To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people.” The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (Unifil) said a peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exploded at one of its positions near the southern Lebanese village of Adchit al-Qusayr on Sunday . Another peacekeeper was critically injured, it said early on Monday. The Israeli air force intercepted two unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Yemen , the IDF has posted online . Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion of Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon as his forces target Hezbollah. “I have just instructed to further expand the existing security buffer zone. We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north,” the Israeli PM said in a video statement from the Northern Command. Israeli forces are currently occupying the area south of the Litani River, and its destruction of key bridges connecting to the rest of Lebanon and forced displacement of residents have stoked fears of a protracted occupation. Pakistan will soon host talks between the US and Iran, its foreign minister said , as top diplomats from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt met in Islamabad to discuss ways to de-escalate t…