Axios: US Preparing To Strike At Iran's 'oil Heart'

• 20.03.2026, 15:48

What would the assault and capture of Hark Island have to offer?

The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering plans to occupy, or blockade, Kharq Island to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for oil and gas exports.

This is reported by Axios.

The operation to seize Kharq Island, which is located 25 kilometers offshore and processes 90% of Iran's crude oil exports, could put US troops directly in the line of fire, several of the publication's sources said.

Such an operation would thus only be launched after the US military has further weakened Iran's military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz.

"We need about a month to further weaken the Iranians with strikes, seize the island, and then take them and use them for negotiations," said a source familiar with the White House's view.

Such an operation, if approved, would also require additional troops. Three different Marine units are already on their way to the region. The White House and the Pentagon are considering sending more troops in the near future, a U.S. official said.

"He (Trump - ed.) wants to open the Strait of Hormuz. If he has to seize Hark Island to make it happen, it will happen. If he decides to carry out a coastal invasion, it will happen. But that decision has not been made yet," a senior administration official said.

Although Kharq Island is crucial to Iran's oil industry, there is no guarantee that its capture will convince Tehran to make peace on Trump's terms.

One of the sources said they had even consulted Pentagon lawyers to provide conclusions on the legality of such potential moves.

Hark Island is home to Iran's largest (more than 90% of Iran's oil and petroleum product exports) oil terminal. It is operated by the Iranian state-owned Iranian Oil Terminals Company, a subsidiary of the national oil monopoly.