Donald Trump plans the risky takeover of the Iranian oil island of Kharg with troops to force the regime to liberate Hormuz

The portal Axios This Friday he quotes four sources, retired officers, who observe the operation with concern due to the costs for the soldiers and it is also not clear if Tehran will react as expected to this pressure.

President Trump cannot end the war, at least on his own terms, until he breaks Iran’s control over maritime traffic through the strait. So you are confronting a skyrocketing of world fuel prices and also gas.

“However, an operation to take Kharg Island, located 24 kilometers off the coast and which processes 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports, could expose American troops directly into enemy firesays Axios.

The operation would be launched after the US military has further weakened Iran’s military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz. “We need approximately a month to further weaken the Iranians with attacks, take the island and then pressure them to use it as a negotiating platform”declared a source with knowledge of the White House position.

If approved, this operation would require more troops. Three Marine Corps units are headed to the region. The White House and Pentagon are considering sending even more troops soon, according to a US official.

“‘He wants the Strait of Hormuz open. If he has to take Kharg Island to achieve it, will do it. If you decide to do a coastal invasion, you will do that too. But that decision has not yet been made.”a senior government official told Axios.

“We have always had ground troops in conflicts under every president, including Trump. “I know this is an obsession in the media, and I understand the politics, but the president will do the right thing,” said a second senior official, adding that no decision had yet been made.

While Kharg Island is crucial to the Iranian oil industry, there is no guarantee that its seizure convince Tehran to sign peace on Trump’s terms. Axios consulted Rear Admiral (ret.) Mark Montgomery who assessed that such a mission could expose US troops to unnecessary risk, given the uncertain outcome. “If we take Kharg Island, they are going to cut off the oil supply at the other end. It’s not like we control their oil production,” he said.

Montgomery indicated that it was more likely that, after about two more weeks of attacks to weaken Iran’s capabilities, the United States would send destroyers and planes to the strait to escort the tankers, thus eliminating the need for an invasion. Trump originally wanted to end the war before his planned trip to China in late March. The crisis in the strait has forced him to postpone that trip and prolong the war longer than expected.

Last Friday, the US military carried out massive airstrikes against dozens of military targets on Kharg Island. The attack was a warning to convince the Iranians to reopen the strait. But it was also a preparatory step to weaken Iran’s military capabilities on the island and lay the groundwork for a possible ground operation.

“Can we take the island whenever we want. I call it the little island that is there, totally unprotected. We have destroyed everything except the pipelines. “We left the pipelines because rebuilding them would take years.”Trump said Thursday. He also told reporters on Thursday that “I would not deploy troops anywhere,” although he added: “If I did, I certainly wouldn’t tell him.” Another option is to impose a naval blockade and prevent tankers from reaching the island.

One source said Pentagon lawyers were even consulted to provide opinions on the legality of such possible measures. In addition to the 2,500-strong marine expeditionary force that will arrive in the coming days, two other units of similar size are also heading to the region, Axios reports.