The United States has attacked all military targets on the Iranian island of Kharg in the Persian Gulf. Kharg Island handles some 90% of Iran's oil exports, making it a vital economic lifeline. Trump directed US bombers to leave Kharg Island's oil industry untouched for now, but the attack marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Kharg Island is located 16 miles (25 km) from the Iranian coast, according to geographical data. Iran has fortified the island with surface-to-air missiles and laid mines in surrounding waters, according to CNN citing US intelligence sources. US intelligence also indicates Iran has buried mines on Kharg, increased soldiers, and moved missile systems there. Iran suspects enemies are preparing to occupy an Iranian island, likely Kharg, reflecting heightened tensions over the strategic location.
I want to 'take the oil in Iran' and might still use American troops to seize Kharg Island.
Donald Trump has sent thousands of US soldiers to the Middle East as part of a broader military buildup. The Pentagon has deployed the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, comprising about 2,200 Marines, to the region and confirmed sending parts of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 1st Brigade Combat Team. The Pentagon is weighing sending about 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division's Immediate Response Force to support the Iran war effort, possibly to seize Kharg Island, according to The New York Times citing defense officials. The US military is also preparing to deploy some 2,500 Marines and a warship to the region, though the exact number of troops deployed remains unclear.
The US is considering plans to occupy or blockade Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to Axios. Taking Kharg Island would effectively cut off the IRGC's economic lifeline, affecting its ability to conduct war. With control of Kharg Island, the US could pressure Tehran to relinquish its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz, easing the energy crunch. According to www.bbc.com, Aaron Maclean described the US thinking as likely that Kharg Island could be seized and used as leverage to compel Iran to keep the strait open.
The US has 'totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran's crown jewel, Kharg Island' but left oil infrastructure intact for now.
Iran responded to the US attack on Kharg with drone attacks on a large oil area in the United Arab Emirates. An Iranian drone attack also hit a Kuwait refinery, and the US and Israel struck 16 Iranian cargo vessels in Gulf port towns. Heavy explosions shook Dubai as air defences intercepted incoming rockets. Kuwait said two waves of Iranian drone strikes hit its Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery. Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened retaliatory attacks against US oil interests in the Gulf if the US bombs oil infrastructure on Kharg.
The Strait of Hormuz is still essentially closed. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz with threats to attack ships. Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continued to roil global energy markets. Since the start of joint US–Israeli strikes on February 28, Iran has targeted at least 16 vessels and tankers, sharply curbing flows through the strait. According to fortune.com, Navy officials described the Strait of Hormuz as a dangerous area filled with Iranian threats that make it too risky for warships to enter.
I will attack Iranian power plants if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
Despite the closure, Iran has carved out a de facto 'safe' shipping corridor through Iranian territorial waters via Iran’s Larak Island, according to Lloyd’s List. Passage through the corridor is negotiated on a case-by-case basis, and the governments of India, Pakistan, Iraq, Malaysia and China have discussed transit plans directly with Tehran. One tanker paid about $2 million as part of its agreement with Iran for passage through the corridor. Ships hoping to use the pre-approved route are expected to have communicated extensive details regarding ownership and destination to the IRGC in advance.
Oil prices have risen over 40% since the start of the war to over $100 per barrel. Prices surged, with Brent crude briefly above $119 per barrel, then dipping to $99.94 after Trump announced a 5-day postponement of strikes. Asian stock markets fell sharply after Trump's threats. IEA chief Fatih Birol warned the world economy is in great danger due to the Middle East energy crisis. Birol said at least 40 important energy facilities are seriously damaged due to the war.
We killed their entire leadership and can do it again.
Diplomatic efforts appear stalled. The US and Israel temporarily removed two Iranian officials, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Abbas Araghchi, from a target list, with a 4-5 day deadline for progress in peace talks, according to sources in the White House. High-level US officials contacted Oman early in the war to discuss de-escalation, but interest in diplomatic negotiations is now zero, according to White House sources. Iran will reject any ceasefire as long as attacks from the US and Israel continue, according to Iranian sources. The progress and outcome of the 4-5 day deadline for peace talks remains unknown.
International reactions have been cautious. Gulf allies have warned the US not to put troops on the ground in Iran, fearing retaliation against their infrastructure, according to a senior Gulf official. Australia has already said it will not send naval ships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf have reportedly warned that if Trump ends the Iran war without restoring free navigation in the strait, Tehran will continue to have the power to hold the economy hostage.
No negotiations are currently ongoing between Tehran and Washington.
US official statements have been measured. A White House official said Trump has no plans to send ground troops at this time but keeps all options on the table. The Pentagon declined to comment on troop deployment reports, citing operational security. Both the Pentagon and the White House have declined to offer comments on specific troop deployments or potential plans but have made clear that the option is available.
Iran has issued stern warnings. Iran's defense council said a US occupation of Kharg would lead to mining of the Persian Gulf and along the coast. The Revolutionary Guard believes if they lose control of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will lose the war, according to a source. Since Trump's warning, Iran has continued threatening to attack some ships that attempt to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US and Iran had productive conversations over the weekend and postponed strikes for five days subject to success of meetings.
Oil export data shows Iran maintaining shipments. Data from Kpler shows Iranian crude exports averaging more than 1.5 million barrels a day (bpd) so far this month through the Strait of Hormuz. Discharges at Chinese ports have risen from about 1.17 million bpd in February to more than 1.25 million so far in March. Figures from the International Energy Agency and Lloyd’s List similarly point to a surge in Iran’s shipments. Last week, Iran loaded a two-million-barrel cargo from Jask — its only export terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz — marking the first such shipment since October 2024.
The US-Israeli war with Iran entered its third week. Despite U.S. and Israeli forces decimating Iran’s military, Iran retains enough combat power to scare away commercial shipping from the Strait of Hormuz, keeping 20% of the world’s oil and LNG bottled up. Neutralizing the risks in the Strait of Hormuz may require landing troops on Iran’s coast near the strait. The current status of the Strait of Hormuz—whether it is completely closed, partially open, or operating under Iran's alternate corridor system—remains unclear.
I don’t think they are ready and I think they will negotiate at some point.
Domestically, Chancellor Rachel Reeves suggested poorer households will receive greater support in an energy subsidy package, responding to the economic fallout. The chief executives of ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips warned Trump administration officials that disruption to flows through the Strait of Hormuz is likely to worsen the global energy crisis. The executives cautioned that prolonged instability around the Strait of Hormuz could sustain volatility, tighten supplies and risk shortages of refined products.
Contradictions exist regarding the status of negotiations between the US and Iran. Trump said the US and Iran had productive conversations over the weekend and postponed strikes for five days subject to success of meetings. However, according to Aftonbladet, Abbas Araghchi described that no negotiations are currently ongoing between Tehran and Washington. This fundamental disagreement affects assessments of de-escalation prospects and the likelihood of further military action.
My administration was in talks with seven countries about helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz and called on them to protect shipping through the vital waterway.
Another contradiction involves the scale of US attacks on Kharg Island's oil infrastructure. Trump directed US bombers to leave Kharg Island's oil industry untouched for now. Yet Iran responded to the US attack on Kharg with drone attacks on a large oil area in the United Arab Emirates, implying the oil port was bombed. This suggests confusion over whether the US attack targeted only military facilities or also hit oil infrastructure, impacting understanding of the attack's economic impact and Iran's retaliatory justification.
Several unknowns persist in the conflict. The exact number of US troops deployed or being deployed to the Middle East remains uncertain, as reports vary from thousands to specific figures like 5,000 or 3,000. Whether the US attack on Kharg Island caused any casualties or specific damage beyond the general claim of obliterating military targets has not been confirmed. The identity of the seven countries Trump claims are in talks to help secure the Strait of Hormuz is also unknown, as Trump did not specify which countries he meant in talks about securing the vital waterway.
NATO allies faced a 'very bad future' if they failed to do more to support US efforts against Iran.
Iran is using artificial intelligence and sympathetic news outlets to spread false battlefield claims.
I reject reports of damage to US aircraft and ships and said media organizations that carried such accounts could face legal consequences, suggesting some should be charged with treason.
Kharg Island's military facilities were 'totally obliterated', but that US forces had held off targeting its oil infrastructure.
I will reconsider the decision not to target oil facilities on Kharg Island should Iran or others 'do anything to interfere' with safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US thinking was likely that Kharg Island could be seized and 'used as leverage' to compel Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Any US operation to seize Kharg Island would be relatively small in size but challenging.
The Strait of Hormuz is a 'kill box' filled with Iranian threats that make it too dangerous for warships to enter.