A senior Iranian MP said US President Donald Trump’s “dream” to take control of the country’s oil “will never come true”, after Washington signalled interest in occupying Iran’s main export terminal at Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf.

Trump said at the weekend that his “preference would be to take the oil” in Iran and that US forces could seize Kharg Island, which handles 90% of Iran’s oil exports.

A day later, on March 30, he posted a clip of himself calling for America to “go in and take over some of their (Iranians) oil that’s along the sea” in a 1987 interview.

Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad said the United States was seeking to take control of Iran’s oil through military action, similar to what he described as control over Saudi and Venezuelan oil.

“They want to have these three countries together and that is only because of oil,” Nikzad said at a rally in the city of Tafresh in central Iran, according to a report by Fars News Agency on April 1.  

“They thought they could easily capture Iran too, but their dream will never come true. Iran is neither Venezuela nor Saudi Arabia for the United States to easily take its oil,” he added.

His remarks referred to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during an overnight raid by US forces in Caracas in early January. After transferring Maduro to the United States, Trump announced that Washington had taken control of Venezuela’s oil permanently.

Media reports suggest the US may deploy several thousand boots on the ground to occupy Kharg Island.

Iranian officials, including First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, have warned that Iran would kill all occupying forces.

“Trump can only decide about sending forces to Kharg, but about their return, the decision is no longer his, because no one returns home from hell,” Aref wrote on X on March 30.

Nikzad said Iran would use the Strait of Hormuz, which he called a “divine blessing”, as “a lever of pressure to defeat the enemy” in the war the US and Israel have been waging against Iran since February 28.

Iran is also planning to impose transit tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. 

“The situation in the Strait of Hormuz for our enemies and all countries will never return to its previous state,” Nikzad said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has since tightened its grip on the key waterway, through which 20% of global oil flows, and has fired missiles at vessels attempting to pass.

The disruption to shipping in the Persian Gulf has pushed oil prices to around $100 per barrel.

Some officials and analysts have warned that prices could climb to above $150 in the coming weeks if disruptions persist.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned on March 30 that the continuation of the US-Israeli war against Iran could drive oil prices as high as $200 per barrel.