Senior US officials have told their counterparts in Israel and other countries in recent days that Washington may have no alternative but to launch a ground operation to seize Iran’s Kharg Island, two sources familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post.
Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf, serves as Iran’s main oil export hub, with about 90% of its crude shipments going to China. In recent days, discussions within the US administration have focused on whether occupying the island could force Iran to stop blocking vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
A US official confirmed to the Post that “the US military has accelerated the deployment of thousands of Marines and Navy personnel to the Middle East.”
The deployment includes the USS Boxer Amphibious Readiness Group, centered on the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, which functions as a light aircraft carrier, alongside the amphibious transport docks USS Portland and USS Comstock. Together, the vessels carry approximately 4,500 Marines and additional combat personnel.
Trump threatens Iranian energy infrastructure
About a week and a half ago, the United States struck military targets on Kharg Island. Following the operation, President Donald Trump announced that the US "destroyed all military targets on the island.” He added that he had decided not to dismantle the island’s full oil infrastructure at that time, but warned, “if Iran thwarts movement in the Strait of Hormuz, I will reconsider.”
On Saturday, Trump again warned Iran that if the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is not lifted, he will target Iranian power plants.
Given Tehran’s defiant response to the president’s warnings, officials assess it is unlikely Iran will voluntarily end the naval blockade. As a result, the current working assumption is that military action may be required to ensure freedom of navigation through the strait.