(Photo: Gemini)
US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a dramatic escalation in the ongoing war with Iran. POTUS is reportedly considering seizing the country’s crucial oil export hub, Kharg Island. US airstrikes earlier targeted parts of the island, which is central to Iran’s oil export infrastructure.
According to a report by Axios on Sunday, any move to capture the island would likely require US troops on the ground.
However, the report noted that Trump may only pursue the option if the strategic Strait of Hormuz continues to remain blocked, leaving oil tankers stranded and disrupting global supply.
Last week, Trump claimed that US forces had “obliterated” targets on what he described as Iran’s “crown jewel” – Kharg Island. He warned that the recent strikes might not be the last and indicated that the island’s oil facilities could become the next targets.
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Kharg Island hosts Iran’s primary oil terminal and handles a significant portion of the country’s crude exports//
A US official cited by Axios said the president views the island as a strategic objective because capturing it could severely weaken Iran economically.
“There are big risks. There are big rewards. The president isn’t there yet and we’re not saying he will be,” the official said while discussing the possibility of sending US troops to seize Kharg Island.
“It would lead to an economic knockout of the regime.”
In an effort to restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump has reportedly been urging several US allies to deploy naval forces to the region.
Operations through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes, have been severely disrupted since the outbreak of the US-Iran war. The disruption has already sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
As of Monday, oil prices surged to around $100 per barrel.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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