Larry Johnson : How Trump Steals Venezuelan Oil

Trump's claim of total U.S. control over the Strait of Hormuz is false, as evidenced by ongoing Iranian attacks and a tanker hitting mines. Trump is indulging in confabulation, genuinely believing his false statements about controlling the Strait of Hormuz despite reality.

The U.S. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz and has swept it of all mines.

Iran is a failed nation with no navy, air force, or currency, and has killed over 100,000 protesters.

Trump's claims about Iran's status and death tolls are absurd and reflect erratic behavior, with numbers inflating from 52,000 to 100,000.

Iran and Oman have agreed that Iran will collect fees from ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and only non-Israel-aligned ships will enter the Persian Gulf.

Trump's recent strikes may be an expression of unhappiness with the Iran-Oman agreement on Strait of Hormuz fees.

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is at its lowest point in history and may only have 25 days of drawdown left. The reserve was used to mitigate a diesel and aviation fuel shortage caused by the cutoff of high-sulfur crude from the Persian Gulf.

Diesel prices have risen significantly, adding thousands in costs for truckers and farmers, which will cause global food prices to rise. There is no short-term solution to the diesel and aviation fuel shortage, which is now global and affecting Europe.

Oil executives, including Exxon Mobil, rejected Trump's offer to invest in Venezuelan oil due to $100 billion infrastructure costs and the oil's thickness. The oil companies' rejection of Venezuelan investment has not changed despite Trump's claims.

The U.S. has secured majority control of 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil at no cost to taxpayers, which will lower gas prices.

Trump's claimed deal is theft, and it will take 2-3 years and substantial investment to produce any oil, which is heavy crude for diesel, not gasoline. The Venezuelan oil deal will not affect gasoline supply or solve the diesel and aviation fuel shortage.

He would ask Lavrov if the Kremlin sees any realistic chance of negotiating with Trump and if Trump is viewed as a reliable partner.