A satellite view of Iran's Kharg Island on March 17, 2026. AFP Photo / European Space Agency. - / AFP
The United States could "take out" Iran's Kharg island whenever it wanted, the White House said on Friday, March 20, after a report that President Donald Trump's administration was considering plans to occupy or blockade the oil hub.
Axios reported that Trump was mulling an operation against Kharg to pressure the Islamic Republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial shipping lane that Tehran has largely blocked. The United States is at the same time deploying additional Marines to the Middle East, US media reported, possibly signaling a coming ground operation three weeks into the US-Israeli campaign.
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Why is Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export hub, so important?
