US President Donald Trump publicly stated in a Financial Times interview that he is considering seizing Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub located 15 nautical miles offshore that handles 90 percent of Iranian crude exports. The comments came as 3,500 US sailors and marines arrived in the Middle East aboard the USS Tripoli, with Pentagon officials making detailed preparations to deploy ground forces and the Trump administration considering plans to occupy or blockade the island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. On March 13, US Central Command struck over 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island while deliberately preserving oil infrastructure, though Iranian state media denied damage to oil facilities. Iran has responded by deploying additional military personnel, air defenses, and mines to Kharg Island, with officials warning they would attack US-aligned energy infrastructure across the region and target Red Sea shipping if invaded. The escalating confrontation has pushed oil prices above $115 per barrel, with analysts warning that destroying Kharg Island's oil infrastructure could trigger soaring global prices and expanded Iranian drone attacks on Gulf Arab energy facilities and desalination plants.
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