Washington, March 26 (NA) — US President Donald Trump said this Thursday that taking control of Iran's oil supply is 'an option'. When asked if a solution with Iran could include tough options, the US President responded: 'I mean, I wouldn't talk about it, but it is an option,' following a cabinet meeting in Washington. Trump suggested that a deal with Iran could resemble the case of Venezuela, where he claimed the US ousted Nicolás Maduro and then worked with interim President Delcy Rodriguez on energy and other issues. According to CNN and the Argentine News Agency, Trump stated: 'Well, we're doing very well working with Venezuela. We have more, we have twice as much oil as Saudi Arabia or Russia, and soon it will be three times more.' The leader emphasized his hardline stance on Iran and said he is not desperate to reach a deal: 'I read a story today that says I'm desperate to make a deal. And, by the way, Venezuela is better now than ever in its history, and it's like a kind of joint venture, but the United States has made a lot of money.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that in the first two months of 2026, Venezuela 'generated more income from oil sales than in most of last year' and assured that 'the money is no longer being stolen.' Trump also downplayed the impact of the war on US supplies, stating that the US does not 'need' the Strait of Hormuz, and highlighted the country's abundance of hydrocarbons: 'We have a lot of oil. Our country is not affected by this. It's not like that... I'm the opposite of being desperate. I don't care,' he said at the White House. Trump added that it is up to Iranian leaders to convince him to stop the war and warned that the US will continue if Tehran does not permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions. Regarding previous negotiations, Trump said Iran had given the US a mysterious 'gift,' which this week he described as ten 'oil tankers' that successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz. In the Oval Office, he said: 'It was a very big, enormous value gift, and I'm not going to tell you what the gift is, but it was a very significant prize.' On Thursday, the president stated that the US had held 'very substantial talks' with unidentified Iranian officials, and that the passage of the tankers was a sign that the negotiations were serious. Trump recounted that the Iranians offered to allow the transit of eight large oil tankers and also sent two additional ships 'to apologize for something they said.' He said the vessels sailed under the Pakistani flag and that the episode showed 'we are dealing with the right people.'
