The US President, Donald Trump, is reportedly considering a military operation to seize Iran’s main oil export platform, a decision that could involve the deployment of American troops on the ground, according to White House officials.
The plan would target Kharg Island, an island through which approximately 90% of Iran’s crude oil export passes. According to sources cited by the Daily Mail, the Washington administration is discussing the possibility of taking control of this strategic infrastructure, in the context of intensifying strikes against Iran.
Located about 25 kilometers off the southern coast of Iran, the island was once the world’s largest offshore crude oil terminal. A main artery, known as “Oil Boulevard”, runs through the approximately six-kilometer-long island, and its loading capacity is estimated at around seven million barrels per day.
The capture of Kharg Island could severely affect Iran’s oil revenues. A White House official told Axios that the scenario of a takeover has been discussed in government circles.
The importance of the terminal could become even greater after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime route through which, typically, about a fifth of the oil transported globally passes. The blockade of the strait has increased pressure on the American administration, as energy prices have risen globally.
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