A U.S. operation to seize Iran’s Khark Island is becoming increasingly likely, The Jerusalem Post reports, citing sources. According to them, it appears Washington has few alternatives left. A U.S. official told the newspaper that the United States has accelerated the deployment of Marines and naval personnel to the Middle East. The group includes three ships, around 4,500 Marines, and additional combat personnel.
At the same time, former director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent warned Donald Trump against landing American forces on Khark. Responding to a question from The Washington Post about a possible invasion of the island, he said: “I just think it would be a catastrophe.” In his view, such a move would effectively give Iran “a large number of hostages on an island that could be subjected to drone and missile strikes.”
Khark Island in the Persian Gulf remains a critical pillar of Iran’s economy and regional stability: 90% of the country’s oil exports pass through it, with the bulk of these supplies bound for China. Tehran has previously warned of an “unprecedented response” in the event of an attack on the island. Against this backdrop, on Monday Trump announced a five-day pause in U.S. strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure after Israel targeted the South Pars gas field last week.
In response to the Israeli strike, Tehran launched attacks on energy infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Oil prices surged sharply, intensifying international pressure to end the war in the interest of global security. Despite this, Senator Lindsey Graham—one of the most hawkish advocates of a war with Iran—urged Trump to seize Khark, but not to invade Iran itself. The South Carolina Republican argued that such a move would lead to the collapse of the regime in Tehran, although the Trump administration denies that regime change is the primary objective of the strikes. “Mr. President, take Khark Island—and this war will be over,” Graham said last week on Fox News’s Hannity.