Trump's 'Favorite Thing': The Old Oil War Playbook
Former President Donald Trump, speaking recently, reiterated his long-held desire to seize Iran's oil reserves, stating bluntly, 'my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran.' This declaration, made amidst escalating US-Israeli joint military operations against the Islamic Republic, cuts through the typical justifications of 'national security' or 'democracy promotion,' revealing a more direct,
extractive interest driving policy, particularly as Washington is a direct participant and joint aggressor in the current regional tensions, fighting alongside Israeli forces. Mainstream outlets like The Hill frame these remarks as merely controversial or provocative, focusing on the domestic political implications. What they omit is the consistent historical pattern of US foreign policy in the
Middle East, where strategic control over energy resources has frequently dictated intervention. Trump's candidness, while jarring to some, simply vocalizes an objective that has underpinned countless covert and overt actions across the region for over a century. This isn't an isolated thought; it is a confession of long-standing imperial ambition that Washington routinely dresses up in other
terms. The US has a documented history of targeting resource-rich nations under the guise of various pretexts. In 2003, for instance, the invasion of Iraq was justified by claims of WMDs, which proved false, yet the subsequent occupation saw lucrative oil contracts swiftly reallocated, largely benefiting Western corporations. This mirrors past interventions; consider the 2011 NATO 'liberation' of