ToplineThe U.S. military is reportedly considering sending an Army combat brigade to Iran, possibly to assist in a takeover of Kharg Island—a key oil hub for Iran that President Donald Trump is eyeing as a major target, though the strategy comes with significant risks that could drive oil prices higher. Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iran. (Photo by Orbital Horizon/Gallo Images via Getty Images)Gallo Images via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday the Pentagon issued a written order to deploy the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division of about 3,000 soldiers to the Middle East, citing two unnamed U.S. officials. The report comes a day after The New York Times reported the possibility of the Army combat deployment, which could help seize Kharg Island, according to unnamed defense officials who noted the troops are from the 82nd Airborne’s “Immediate Response Force” capable of being dispatched anywhere within 18 hours.Trump is weighing taking over the island as a way to pressure Iran to free the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil passage that has been essentially closed since the conflict began at the end of February, Axios reported last week, citing unnamed sources. Trump’s thinking on Kharg Island is unclear—he said earlier this month seizing the island was not “high on the list” of his Iran war priorities, but warned Thursday, “we can take out the island anytime we want . . . we’ve taken out everything but the pipes,” he told reporters, referring to targeted strikes on military infrastructure on the island earlier this month, adding, “we left the pipes because to rebuild the pipes would take years.”Trump has long mused about attacking Kharg Island, telling The Guardian in 1988 that if Iran attacked U.S. forces, “I’d do a number on Kharg Island. I’d go in and take it.”When Could The U.s. Potentially Invade Kharg Island?If Trump does decide to take Kharg Island, the operation wouldn’t happen for about a month to give the U.S. time to “weaken the Iranians more with strikes,” an unnamed source with knowledge of the strategy told Axios. The U.S. conducted strikes on March 13 on more than 90 targets on Kharg Island that “included all of their military-only infrastructure, which included air defenses, naval base, mine storage and deployment facilities,” according to Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine. Trump said the attacks “totally obliterated” military facilities on the island, but left the oil infrastructure untouched, though he warned, “just one simple word, and the pipes will be gone. It’ll take a long time to rebuild that.” Airfields damaged in the strikes would likely need to be repaired before any U.S. troops are sent there, according to The New York Times, citing former unnamed U.S. commanders who said that Marines would likely handle the repairs, assisted by the 82nd Airborne.Where Is Kharg Island, And What Is On Kharg Island?The island is a coral outcrop located about 15 miles off Iran’s coast in the northern Persian Gulf and is about one-third the size of Manhattan. About 20,000 people live there, mostly oil workers. The island processes about 90% of Iran’s oil exports and houses oil storage facilities and pipelines that connect to Iran’s main oil fields. The Iranian oil ministry operates three major energy infrastructure hubs on the island, including one owned by Falat Iran Oil Company, the country’s largest refinery, according to The New York Times. Kharg Petrochemical company is also located on the island. The island is equipped with docks able to handle up to 10 large oil tankers. The tankers transport shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to the Arabian Sea, with many heading to China, which purchases about 90% of Iran’s crude exports.What Are The Risks Of Invading Kharg Island?Attacking the island’s oil infrastructure could severely damage Iran’s economy, but it comes with significant risks, including the potential for American casualties, more retaliatory attacks by Iran on other Persian Gulf states and the potential to drive up global oil prices even further, plus there’s no guarantee it would force Iran to reopen the strait. Sending ground troops anywhere in Iran is also widely unpopular with the American public—a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found just 7% support a large-scale ground war, but 65% believe Trump will move forward with a ground operation anyway. Trump told reporters recently he’s “not putting troops anywhere,” but added, “if I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”TangentSen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., urged Trump to seize Kharg Island, telling Fox News on Sunday, “we did Iwo Jima, we can do this,” prompting bipartisan blowback as critics pointed out 7,000 U.S. service members were killed in the battle for Iwo Jima. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., called for Graham to be “removed from the Situation Room” over the comments, adding, “I don’t want to hear one word from a guy with no kids,” she wrote on X (Graham has no children). Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., wrote that the comments “deeply upset” her, accusing Graham of displaying a “lack of respect for life” and acting as if American troops are "expendable cattle.”Key BackgroundTrump backed off his threats to attacks on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure on Monday, setting a five-day deadline to negotiate with Iran on “a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.” Trump claimed the U.S. had “productive” conversations with the Iranians, which they denied, accusing him of making the statements to tame markets after the three major indexes posted four straight weeks of losses. Trump’s about-face comes after he threatened Saturday that the U.S. military would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants within 48 hours if it didn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Further ReadingIran Denies ‘Productive’ Talks Hyped By Trump—Accuses Him Of Manipulating Markets (Forbes)Trump Wants $200 Billion More For Iran War. Here's What Else That Could Fund. (Forbes)Trump: ‘I Don’t Want To Do A Ceasefire’ As Iran War Nears 3-Week Mark (Forbes)