US President Donald Trump called himself a “businessman first“ when it comes to Iranian oil at a White House briefing.
“The spoils belong to the victor. I am a businessman first“, he said, quoted by The Guardian.
Shortly before the briefing, at the annual Easter egg hunt at the White House, Trump said he would “take the oil if he had a choice“. The US president explained that he also wants happiness for the American people, while the American people “unfortunately“ wants the troops back.
„If it were up to me, I would take the oil, I would keep it, that would make a lot of money. I would also take much better care of the people of Iran than they are taking care of now,” Trump continued.
Tensions between the US and Iran have reached a critical point after a series of deadlines set by the Donald Trump administration.
He announced that his ultimatum to Iran expires today, Tuesday evening, April 7, and stressed that this deadline is final and there will be no new ultimatum.
Washington's main insistence is that Iran immediately open the Strait of Hormuz.
The US president used extremely sharp language, stating that if Iran does not comply, the country could be “destroyed overnight“.
In his statements, he warned Tehran: “Open the damn strait or you will live in hell“.
Tehran rejected the ultimatum and proposed plans for a temporary peace. Iranian authorities responded with their own threats of reciprocal strikes on bridges and power plants of US allies, declaring that the “gates of hell“ would open to their opponents.
The situation remains highly volatile, with the international community watching closely to see if military action will occur after the deadline expires tonight.