Taking Kharg Island is seen as key to opening Hormuz. There are better options

Key Points:

• Kharg Island, a small coral outcrop in the Persian Gulf, is strategically critical as the export terminal for 90% of Iran’s oil shipments and could be key to reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating US-Iran tensions.
• The US has deployed thousands of troops and military assets to the Gulf, signaling possible plans to seize Kharg Island, a move that could cripple Iran’s oil exports and force it to accept US terms or face economic collapse.
• Military experts warn that an assault on Kharg would be complex and risky due to heavy Iranian defenses, including missile systems and suicide drones, which could inflict significant casualties on US forces.
• Iran continues to export significant oil volumes despite sanctions and has the capability to sustain attacks on shipping and energy infrastructure, meaning the economic impact of losing Kharg would be delayed and not immediate.
• Alternatives to a direct invasion exist, such as intercepting Iranian oil shipments at sea or targeting facilities from the air, and some analysts suggest leveraging control over Kharg to weaken the Iranian regime rather than negotiating a deal that might preserve it.