Trump Administration Weighs Seizing or Blockading Iran's Kharg Island to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
Kharg Island, a small strip of land 15 miles off Iran's coast in the Persian Gulf, serves as the country's primary oil export hub, handling approximately 90% of its crude shipments and generating tens of billions in annual revenue.
Tommy Flynn
The Trump administration is actively considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island to pressure Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple administration sources.
Kharg Island, a small strip of land 15 miles off Iran's coast in the Persian Gulf, serves as the country's primary oil export hub, handling approximately 90% of its crude shipments and generating tens of billions in annual revenue. Recent U.S. airstrikes obliterated military targets on the island while deliberately sparing its oil terminals, pipelines, and storage facilities.
Options under discussion include a full-scale amphibious assault involving 2,500–5,000 U.S. Marines from the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which are already en route or arriving in the region. The deployment provides commanders with the capability for a ground operation to seize the island's oil terminal and use it as leverage. A naval blockade — similar to past U.S. actions against Venezuela — is also on the table as a lower-risk alternative to prevent Iranian tankers from loading and departing without committing large numbers of troops ashore.
President Trump has not made a final decision, but officials say he is “drawn” to the idea because capturing Kharg would deliver an “economic knockout” to the regime by cutting off its main revenue source. Trump has repeatedly warned that any further Iranian interference with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — which carries roughly one-fifth of global oil trade — would prompt immediate reconsideration of sparing the island's oil infrastructure.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has publicly urged the president to “take Kharg Island,” arguing it would end the war quickly by crippling Iran's finances. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) noted the administration has “mountains of plans” ready.
Analysts warn that a ground seizure carries significant risks, including exposure of U.S. forces to Iranian retaliation, potential escalation across the Persian Gulf, and further spikes in global oil prices already above $100 per barrel. A blockade could achieve similar pressure with less direct combat but might still provoke Iranian attacks on regional energy facilities.
The discussions come amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli operations under Operation Epic Fury that began February 28. No timeline for a decision has been announced.