Trump will not be able to end the war, at least on his terms, unless he loosens Iran’s control over shipping through the strait. Meanwhile, the publication notes, energy prices continue to rise.
However, an operation to seize an island located about 15 miles offshore could place U.S. troops under direct fire. Such an operation would only be possible after Iran’s military capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz area are further weakened, a source said.
According to the source, it would take the United States about a month to further degrade Iranian forces through strikes, capture the island and use it as leverage in negotiations.
If approved, the potential operation would require an increase in troop numbers in the region, Axios reported.
The publication also cited a senior official in Donald Trump’s administration as saying that “he [Trump] wants the Strait of Hormuz to be open.” The source added that if seizing Kharg Island is necessary to achieve that, it will be done.
“If he decides to conduct a landing on the coast, that will also happen. But that decision has not yet been made,” the official said.
A second senior official confirmed to the publication that no decision has been made.
Kharg Island is critical to Iran’s oil industry, but there is no guarantee that its capture would force Tehran to agree to peace on Trump’s terms, Axios noted.
Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery told the outlet that such a mission could expose U.S. service members to unjustified risk given uncertain prospects. He also suggested that if Kharg Island were seized, Iran could disrupt “oil flows elsewhere.”
According to Montgomery, it is more likely that after about two more weeks of strikes aimed at degrading Iran’s capabilities, the United States would deploy destroyers and aircraft to escort tankers — without the need for an invasion.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News, avoided questions about the possible seizure of Iran’s Kharg Island, often described as the country’s “oil artery.”
On March 14, Trump said U.S. forces carried out “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East,” striking military facilities on Kharg Island.
Kharg is an island in the Persian Gulf belonging to Iran. Administratively, it is part of Bushehr province. The island hosts an oil export terminal, an airport and the city of Kharg. A significant share of Iran’s oil exports passes through the island.