Iran reinforces Kharg Island defenses amid U.S. invasion threat
Iran has bolstered military presence on Kharg Island and threatened regional disruption if the U.S. attempts a ground invasion of the strategic oil terminal.
9:33 PM
Iran has reinforced military defenses on Kharg Island in recent weeks, positioning additional troops, air defense systems, and laying traps in preparation for a potential U.S. ground operation, according to people familiar with American intelligence reports.
The Trump administration is evaluating the possibility of using military forces to seize the island in the northeastern Persian Gulf as a pressure tactic to compel Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed. Kharg Island serves as Iran's primary oil export terminal, handling approximately 90 percent of the country's crude exports.
U.S. officials and military experts have cautioned that a ground operation of this scale would carry significant risks, including substantial American casualties.
Iran has issued multiple warnings in response to the reported invasion plans. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps told the Tasnim News Agency that if the U.S. attempts military action on Iranian islands or conducts naval operations in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, Iran will "open other fronts for them as a surprise so that their action will not only be of no benefit to them but will also double their costs."
Specifically, Iran has threatened to take control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the strategic waterway connecting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Approximately one trillion dollars in goods pass through the strait annually. Iran stated that after effectively shutting down the Strait of Hormuz and disrupting 20 percent of global oil supply shipments, the Bab al-Mandeb passage could become the next target if a U.S. invasion proceeds.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker, warned on Wednesday that intelligence reports indicate "Iran's enemies" are planning to occupy an Iranian island with support from an unnamed regional country. Ghalibaf stated that any such attempt would be met with targeted attacks on the "vital infrastructure" of the assisting regional nation.
"Iranian forces are monitoring enemy movements, and if they take any step, we will attack vital infrastructure in that regional country in continuous and relentless attacks," Ghalibaf said in social media posts.