Trump: We may stay in Iran and keep its oil, similar to Venezuela

- Sisi meets Pezeshkian and stresses “the inevitability of halting any aggression against Arab states”

- Iranian President: We have reached an understanding with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump indicated that the United States might remain in Iran and “retain the oil,” drawing a comparison to an American effort to control one-fifth of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

While President Masoud Pezeshkian affirmed that Iran and the United Arab Emirates “have agreed to turn the page on the past,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed “the inevitability of stopping any aggression against Arab states, in order to uphold principles of good neighborliness and strengthen the historical and cultural ties binding the peoples of the region.”

During a visit to Ireland, Trump stated that he expects the war with Iran to end this year, possibly after the midterm congressional elections in November next year.

However, Trump also proposed an alternative option: continuing engagement with Iran, likening it to the US agreement in Venezuela announced last August.

He said, “We will eventually withdraw (from Iran), unless we decide to stay and keep the oil, as with Venezuela,” adding that US revenues from Venezuela “paid for the war many times over.”

The US president also stressed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “must stop disrupting diesel fuel supplies to Russia.”

In New Delhi, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS summit, Sisi, during his meeting with Pezeshkian, “emphasized Egypt’s firm and steadfast position in supporting efforts to restore stability in the region,” according to a presidential statement.

For his part, Pezeshkian, the day after meeting Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, said, “We had a constructive discussion with the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.” He added, “We agreed to set the past aside and look to the future, and how we can build a future together.”

He said, “We held talks with the Sultanate of Oman regarding this issue and reached an understanding on a specific framework and action plan. On Monday, there will be a ministerial meeting in Oman, and discussions will take place to reach an understanding regarding the Strait of Hormuz, and we will inform the relevant International Maritime Organization of the outcomes.”