Trump is considering taking over Kharg Island

The Trump administration is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran’s Kharg Island in order to pressure the Iranian regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, four sources familiar with the matter said.

• Trump cannot end the war, at least on his terms, as long as he does not break the Iranian blockade on navigation in the Strait. Meanwhile, energy prices in the world are soaring.
• However, an operation to take control of the island of Kharg – which is located about 25 km from the coast and handles about 90% of Iranian oil exports – could place American forces in the line of fire.
• Therefore, such a move will only be implemented after the American military further weakens Iran’s military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz.
• “We need about a month to weaken the Iranians with airstrikes, take control of the island, catch them by the balls, and use that in negotiations,” said a well-informed source in the White House.
• Such a move will also require reinforcements. Three Marine units are already on their way to the area, and the White House and the Pentagon are considering sending more troops, an American official said.

• “President Trump wants Hormuz open. If the island of Kharg has to be taken for that to happen – it will happen. If he decides on an invasion from the coast – it will happen. But the decision has not yet been made,” said a senior official in the American administration.

• Trump initially planned to end the war before his planned visit to China in late March.
• The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz forced him to postpone the trip and prolong the war beyond what he had planned, two sources said.
• Last Friday, the US military carried out extensive airstrikes on dozens of military targets on the island of Kharg.
• The attack was intended to be a “warning shot” to convince Iran to open the strait, but also a preparatory step to weaken the military capabilities on the island and lay the infrastructure for a possible ground operation.
• “We can take over the island at any moment. I call it the little island that sits there almost defenseless. We destroyed everything except the pipelines. We left them because it will take them years to restore them,” Trump said on Thursday.
• Trump also told reporters that he “doesn’t station infantry anywhere,” but added: “And if he did – I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”

• Three sources said that the occupation of the island by infantry forces is being seriously considered by the White House and the Pentagon.
• Another option is to impose a naval blockade and prevent tankers from reaching the island to collect Iranian oil for export.
• One source said Pentagon legal advisers have also been asked to review the legality of such measures.
• Despite the importance of Kharg Island to the Iranian oil economy, there is no certainty that taking control of it will make Tehran agree to Trump’s terms.

• In addition to a Marine force of about 2,500 soldiers that will arrive within days, two more Marine units of a similar size are on their way to the area.
• The White House and the Pentagon are also discussing an additional reinforcement of thousands of soldiers, but a final decision has not yet been made on the issue, said a senior American official.