US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States would eventually leave Iran unless Washington decided to stay and take control of the country's oil, drawing a comparison with Venezuela, where he said he still did not see the conditions for elections.
Trump made the remarks to reporters in Ireland. He said that in the end the US would pull out of Iran, unless it decided to remain and take the oil, as it had in Venezuela. He asked whether anyone still talked about Venezuela, saying the US had taken in thousands upon thousands of billions of dollars and had paid for the war many times over.
Trump was responding to questions about a meeting reportedly planned for Monday, according to Iranian media, between Oman and Iran along with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq to discuss the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, one of the busiest routes for oil shipments in the world. It carried about a fifth of the world's crude oil before the war began in February.
Trump said he did not mind what happened with the strait, saying that was up to the countries involved and that it was fine as long as Israel and the nations under discussion were satisfied. He made the comment before playing a round of golf.
Iran says Hormuz deal will not reopen route
Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Sunday that the agreement reached with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz, due to be announced Monday, would not mean reopening the waterway unless the United States resumed the commitments it made under the memorandum of understanding for peace signed in June.
Trump, who on Saturday predicted the war would end after the November legislative elections, compared the situation in Iran with that in Venezuela.
Trump draws comparison with Venezuela
He said Venezuela had been going through a difficult period, and that oil companies were now moving in and making a great deal of money.
He described Venezuela as having been a very sad country, saying its people were now very happy and could see what was happening. He added that thousands of jobs were being created and that major companies that previously could not or would not operate there were now all present.
The United States has backed acting President Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela since Nicolás Maduro, who had led the country since 2013, was captured in January.
Asked about the possibility of elections in Venezuela, Trump said they would happen when they were ready.
