Kamal Ghorui
Iran is reportedly setting up traps and deploying additional military personnel and air defences on Kharg Island in anticipation of a potential US operation to seize the island, according to several sources familiar with US intelligence.Click here for live updates on Middle East warTehran’s defences include both anti-armour and anti-personnel mines, positioned around the island and along the shoreline—areas where American forces could conduct an amphibious landing if President Donald Trump were to authorise a ground operation, CNN reported.Two Marine Expeditionary Units, which specialise in rapid-response amphibious landings, raids, and assaults from Navy amphibious ships, have recently deployed to the Middle East. These units include several thousand Marines, along with amphibious warships, aircraft, and landing craft, making them the forces most likely to execute a likely attack to seize Kharg. Additionally, around 1,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are expected to deploy to the region in the coming days.Also Read | US deploys 2,000 paratroopers from ‘Immediate Response Force’ to Middle East amid escalation: ReportUS officials and military experts, however, have cautioned that a ground operation carries “significant risks,” including possibly high American casualties. Kharg Island’s layered defences, combined with the recent deployment of shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles (MANPADs) by Iran, make any assault particularly dangerous.
Washington’s Gulf allies have also privately urged the Trump administration against prolonging the conflict by sending ground forces to occupy Kharg. They worry that such an occupation could result in heavy casualties and provoke Iranian retaliation against critical infrastructure in the Gulf.Iran, in response to the joint US-Israeli strikes across its territory on February 28 that sparked the conflict, has carried out attacks in Gulf countries hosting American military bases and has also targeted Israeli territory.Why Kharg Island mattersThe Trump administration has been considering using troops to seize Kharg, a small island in the northeastern Persian Gulf that serves as a critical economic lifeline for Iran, handling roughly 90% of the country’s crude exports. Officials view a potential operation as a way to pressure Tehran into reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.Also Read | Kharg Island: Trump’s mercy shot on Iran’s oil lifeline could reshape the warAt roughly a third the size of Manhattan, Kharg would require a substantial landing force to secure the island. Though it lies at the northern end of the Persian Gulf—away from the strait itself—it sits near key Iranian oil facilities, making it a highly sensitive target.
Iran’s oil and gas facilities
The United States has already struck Kharg. On March 13, Central Command (CENTCOM) reported hitting 90 targets, including naval mine storage facilities, missile bunkers, and other military sites. Trump announced the strikes, noting that CENTCOM had deliberately avoided hitting the island’s oil infrastructure “for reasons of decency.”
Kharg Island in numbers
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, issued a stark warning on Wednesday against any attempt to occupy Iranian islands. Posting on X, he said, “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. 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.”Also Read | ‘Will attack infrastructure’: Iran on reports that ‘enemies’ preparing to occupy island with help from ‘regional’ countryEarlier in the day, Ghalibaf added, “We are closely monitoring all US movements in the region, especially troop deployments.”On Monday, Trump announced a five-day “ceasefire,” claiming Washington and Tehran were in talks via negotiators to end the war. The claim was, however, rejected by Iran.
