President Donald Trump has brought a decades-old interview back into the limelight, where he proposed that the U.S. should take control of Iranian oil facilities if attacked.
Trump, on Monday, took to his Truth Social to share a snippet from a 1987 interview he had with the late Barbara Walters. The original interview, aired on ABC’s 20/20, features a young Trump criticizing what he perceived as American weakness and advocating for a strong response to Iranian aggression.
The interview took place during the Iran–Iraq War, several years after the Iran hostage crisis. In it, Trump suggested that if Iran attacked the U.S., Washington should retaliate. According to him, the most appropriate response would be to “grab one of their big oil installations” and keep it to offset losses.
“And I mean grab it and keep it,” Trump emphasized.
In another interview in 1980 with TV host Rona Barrett, Trump had expressed his displeasure with Iran after it held several U.S. hostages during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“That this country sits back and allows a country such as Iran to hold our hostages to my way of thinking is a horror,” said Trump.
He also signaled clear support for the possibility of deploying U.S. troops into Iran to retrieve the hostages.
Trump Threats Stir Oil Market Jitters
The resurfacing of this interview comes at a time when the U.S.-Israel war with Iran is becoming increasingly volatile, thrusting Trump’s past comments back into the public eye.
On Monday, Trump expressed his preference to “take the oil in Iran” in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday.
Later that day, he threatened to destroy Iran’s oil infrastructure, including wells, power plants, and Kharg Island, if the Strait of Hormuz is not immediately reopened.
These threats coincided with WTI crude oil surging to $102.81 a barrel, up 0.06% at 8:10 AM ET and over 40% for the month. The explicit mention of Kharg Island, a crucial hub for Iran’s oil exports, has significant implications for global energy markets.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by a Benzinga editor.
Image via Shutterstock
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