POLITICS: Taking Over Iran’s Kharg Island – One America News Network – U-S-NEWS. COM
A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Iranian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via. . .
A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Iranian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)OAN Commentary by:Richard PollockFriday, July 10, 2026In the war with Iran, we are now entering the Twilight Zone of sorts. Ran Zimmit a director at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies has some insight into this hazy, confusing and uncomfortable period where we seem to be facing neither war nor peace. Writing in the Jewish outletYnet, Zimmitstatesthat we face a world of “not full-scale war, but also not a long-term diplomatic arrangement. ”I agree with Zimmit. His description perfectly fits the confusing world we face. Which brings me to the question of Donald Trump’s insistence that American troops will take over Iran’s Kharg Island, which is the Islamic Republic’s economic lifeline. More than 90% of all of Iranian export oil passes through the island. Kharg Island, therefore, is both one of Iran’s strengths and its most glaring vulnerability. First in an interview on Fox News last month, but later before a massive press conference in Ankara at the NATO summit meeting, the Presidenthas said in his strongest terms yetthat he desired an American takeover of Kharg Island. “You know we may take over Kharg Island. There’s not a thing they can do about it,” he told reporters in Ankara. The oil island has been hit twice since the U. S. Central Command commenced air attacks on Iran following Tehran’s attack on three unarmed commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. The island was hit earlier last March and April by the U. S. Trump, always one to keep his friends and adversaries guessing, indicated he did not want the U. S. Air Force to actually hit the oil facilities there. He told reporters he informed the Pentagon before the latest attacks on the island, “I said, don’t touch the oil because maybe we’ll take over Kharg Island. ”In Zimmit’s world, of no full war or peace, there are various reports out there that suggest the war could last a few days to a month or more. Hence, the Twight Zone. So far, American economic markets seem unperturbed by the President’s latest warnings. Yesterday, Brent oil was down nearly three percent. Today it’s flat. It’s not a market terrorized by Donald Trump’s threat or by the multiple military tit-for-tats by both Tehran and Washington. Many observers believe, however, that Trump does have his eyes on Kharg Island as an alluring jewel. If the U. S. controlled the island, it would possess one of the most valuable oil export facilities in the Middle East. Kharg Island could produce the same gleam in the President’s eye as say, Greenland. So, could U. S. forces actually take and hold the island?Here’s a short review: Kharg Island is very small, about eight square miles. It’s only around five miles long and three miles wide. Encyclopedia Iranicasays it’s about a third of the size of Manhattan. The island sits 20 miles off the coast of Iran, and it is about 30 miles from the large Iranian port of Busehr, which has faced intense U. S. bombardment, including over the last few days. The island does have a hilly interior and cliffs on both its northern and southern ends where Iranian troops could hide. If soldiers are hiding there, aerial bombardment would be intense and likely inflict large Iranian losses. Kharg also has an extremely long airport runway. When the military situation is stabilized, this airport could easily deliver huge amounts of troops and supplies. Many military analysts say they believe that Iran would not seek to have actual battles near the oil tanks and terminals as it could extinguish any future use of the hub as its oil exports. About 90% of Iran’s exports, almost all of which goes to China through illegal shadow or “ghost ships,” are processed through Kharg Island. In terms of actual numbers,accordingto the U. S. -China Economic and Security Commission, a part of the U. S. Government, “about half of China’s imports flow through the Strait of Hormuz. ”So, what would it take to seize the island? Given its small size, it would require between 1,200 and 4,000 U. S. troops, according to retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel who gave his estimatesin an interview withTask and Purpose, a news site for the military and veterans. Votel led U. S. Central Command from 2016 to 2019. Most military analysts believe the attack could be launched by the either the U. S. Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) or the 82ndAirborne Division. Nearly 5,000 MEU troops are stationed in the Middle East. The 82ndAirborne Division has about 3,000 troops in the region. Many military observers believe taking the island is quite feasible. Using airlift and suppression of any armed forces on the island with both naval and airborne assets, the ability to land troops there would be relatively easy. There are about 8,000 permanent residents there. It’s not publicly known how many Iranian Republican Guard troops or other military forces are stationed there. But you know that the U. S. Central Command has firm intelligence of the status of forces there. Once the island is taken, sustaining U. S. troops on Kharg Island would be more precarious. It will require significant support, including air cover, logistics, engineering and evacuation capabilities, Votel added. I believe the Iranians wouldn’t want to bombard the island with missiles and drones as it would destroy one of its most valuable pieces of real estate and bar for a long time all of its future oil exports. Remember: the Iranians always play the long game. They will absorb losses – even staggering losses – if they believe they will prevail in the long term. The preservation of Kharg Island for future use means the Iranians may wish to avoid any really significant fighting there. Any Iranian naval launch would be suicidal. The ships would have to traverse the 20-30 miles from the mainland to get to the island. See alsoGiven that the U. S. has near total air and naval superiority, a lengthy Iranian amphibious assault likely would result in failure before it even reached the island. It would have to traverse at least 20 miles to reach it. An Iranian airborne assault of the island also faces significant problems. The most likely Iranian airborne force that Tehran would deploy is the 55th Airborne Brigade. It may be intact. The 55this a rapid deployment parachute infantry unit that has been trained for airborne insertions and seizing terrain, exactly the kind of force needed to reoccupy Kharg after an American invasion. If American forces do occupy Kharg Island and it continues to have air and naval superiority, any insertion by the 55thlikely would be a suicide mission. Airborne lift for Iranian troops appears nearly non-existent due to Operation Epic Fury. It’s air force appears to be largely neutralized, although it’s not without some lift capacity. Epic Fury also targeted and destroyed much of Iran’s aviation repair and parts production industry. Last March,ForbesexaminedIran’s overall air force and concluded the decaying and aging aircraft has put the entire airborne capability into a “death spiral. ”So, if Kharg Island falls to the Americans, it’s likely they will possess it for the long run – unless Trump decided to barter it away to the Iranian Mullahs for some other Iranian concessions – that the Iranians likely won’t keep. OK fans. The World Cup is nearly over. But keep your popcorn. We have a lot more ahead in this Iranian Twilight Zone where there’s neither war nor peace. (Views expressed by guest commentators may not reflect the views of OAN or its affiliates. )Richard Pollock is a former New Left activist and was a roommate with Chicago 7 defendant Rennie Davis. He understands New Left strategy and tactics. For four decades, Richard was an investigative reporter based in Washington, D. C. Among his positions, he served as the senior investigative reporter for theWashington Examiner, the Daily Caller News Foundation, and atOAN. While atOANhe served in the Washington, D. C. bureau and hosted its investigative reporting specials. He is semi-retired and his posts from D. C. can be read onSubstack. comWhat do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!Sponsored Content Below