Trump says US could stay in Iran and keep oil, like Venezuela deal

President Donald Trump suggested on Sunday the ​United States could stay in Iran and "keep the oil", drawing a parallel with a U.S. push to take control of a fifth ‌of Venezuela's ⁠vast ⁠oil reserves.

On a trip to Ireland for meetings and ​to watch golf, he reiterated that he still expected the Iran war ​to end this year, possibly just after midterm elections due in the United States in November.

Speaking at the ​Irish Open golf championship, Trump added that ⁠the price ‌of gasoline would "drop like a rock" ​once ​the Iran war ended.


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Turmoil in the Middle East ⁠has roiled oil markets, with oil traders expecting ​prices to rise again on Monday after ​an attack on a Saudi oil pipeline.

Trump said that he would only make the "right deal" and wouldn't do one that was "no good", adding that Iran was "calling constantly" for peace talks - an assertion that ‌Tehran has dismissed in the past.

But the president also introduced another option: stay engaged with Iran. ​He drew ​a parallel with ⁠the U.S. deal in Venezuela, announced in August.

"We'll ultimately get out (of Iran), unless we decide to stay and keep the ​oil like Venezuela," Trump said, adding that the U.S. revenue from Venezuela has "paid for the war many times."