Kharg: Iran fortifying Kharg Island as US weighs possible seizure plan, laying traps and moving air defences: Report
Iran has been laying traps and moving additional military personnel and air defence systems to Kharg Island in recent weeks as the US weighs a possible operation to seize the strategic oil hub, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting.
Iran reinforces island as US weighs pressure tactic
According to CNN, the Trump administration has been considering using US troops to take control of Kharg Island, a small island in the northeastern Persian Gulf that handles about 90% of Iran’s crude exports, as leverage to pressure Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz.But the report said US officials and military experts see major risks in any such ground operation, including the possibility of significant American casualties.Iran has moved additional shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile systems (MANPADS) to the island in recent weeks, the sources cited by CNN claimed. The report added that Tehran has also been laying anti-personnel and anti-armour mines around the island, including near the shoreline where US troops could attempt an amphibious landing if President Donald Trump authorises such an operation.
Kharg operation seen as high-risk option
Some allies of the US president have raised questions over whether seizing the island would meaningfully resolve the wider crisis around the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s ability to pressure global energy markets.An Israeli source said there are concerns that any move to take Kharg could trigger Iranian drone and shoulder-fired missile attacks that could kill US troops.“The hope is that they won’t take that risk and will instead fire at the oil fields, but there is no way to know,” the source said, as per CNN.Retired Admiral James Stavridis, former Nato Supreme Allied Commander and now a CNN military analyst, warned of the dangers of a ground incursion.“I would be very worried about this,” Stavridis said. “Iranians are clever and ruthless. They will do everything they can to inflict maximum casualties on US forces both on the ships at sea, and especially once ground troops are anywhere in their sovereign territory.”
Iranian parliament speaker warns against island seizure
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday warned the country’s “enemies” against attempting to occupy any Iranian islands.“Based on some data, Iran’s enemies, with the support of one of the regional countries, are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands,” Ghalibaf wrote on X, according to CNN.“All enemy movements are under the full surveillance of our armed forces. If they step out of line, all the vital infrastructure of that regional country will, without restriction, become the target of relentless attacks.”Earlier in the day, he also said: “We are closely monitoring all US movements in the region, especially troop deployments.”
US military buildup underway in region
Kharg Island, roughly a third the size of Manhattan, would require a substantial landing force if the US decides to move ahead.The report said two Marine Expeditionary Units, which specialise in amphibious assaults and rapid-response operations, have recently deployed to the Middle East. These units include several thousand Marines, amphibious warships, aviation assets and landing craft, and are considered the most likely forces to be involved in any Kharg operation.In addition, around 1,000 US soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division are expected to deploy to the region in the coming days, according to CNN.A person familiar with US military planning told the network that US Central Command has maintained near-constant overhead surveillance of the island, allowing the military to detect physical and environmental changes in areas believed to have been rigged with traps.
Previous US strikes degraded, but did not eliminate, defences
The US had already struck Kharg Island on March 13, with Central Command saying 90 targets were hit, including “naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites”.Trump had said at the time that US forces had avoided striking the island’s oil infrastructure “for reasons of decency,” the report noted.Stavridis told CNN that the earlier strikes had degraded some of the island’s air and sea defences, including HAWK surface-to-air missiles and Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns. But he cautioned that US forces would still remain vulnerable to Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks because of the island’s proximity to the Iranian mainland.
Gulf allies urge caution, push missile focus
Gulf allies are privately urging the Trump administration not to prolong the conflict by putting US troops on the ground to occupy Kharg Island or attempt to seize Iran’s highly enriched uranium from a previously bombed nuclear site.A senior Gulf official told the network that regional governments fear a Kharg occupation could lead to heavy casualties, trigger Iranian retaliation against Gulf infrastructure and extend the war.Instead, Gulf countries are pressing Washington to focus on dismantling Iran’s ballistic missile programme before the conflict ends. The report added that the Pentagon has recently briefed Gulf states that a large part of Iran’s ballistic and cruise missile capabilities has already been destroyed and that the US is close to completing its target list, though no timeline was given.
Wider escalation options remain under discussion
The US is weighing what officials describe as a possible “final blow” against Iran, with options under discussion ranging from a broad bombing campaign to risky ground operations inside the country.Kharg Island, along with other strategic islands such as Larak and Abu Musa, has figured prominently in discussions because of its central role in Iran’s oil exports and Tehran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.Despite the detailed planning, no final decision has been taken so far, even as the US continues deploying additional fighter squadrons, Marine units and troops to the region.Stavridis suggested one possible alternative to a ground assault: an offshore blockade.“This could be done without actually putting troops ashore,” he said, referring to a blockade that could prevent oil exports from Kharg, according to CNN.
