Iran has increased military activity on Kharg Island, adding mines and troops, as reports suggest the US may be considering action targeting the key oil export hub.
A satellite image of Kharg Island, which handles the majority of Iran’s crude oil exports, amid rising tensions in the Gulf. (Reuters via ANI)
Iran has started fortifying Kharg Island, placing mines and deploying more troops after reports indicated the United States may be looking at the strategic site in the Persian Gulf.
The move has raised fresh fears of a wider conflict, especially because Kharg Island is central to Iran’s economy, with nearly 90% of its crude oil exports passing through it. The island reportedly handles nearly 90 per cent of the country’s crude shipments, making it a key asset in any potential confrontation.
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A report by CNN, citing unnamed sources, said Iranian forces are setting up defensive traps around the island, including anti-personnel and anti-armour mines. These measures appear aimed at preventing any amphibious landing by US troops.
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According to reports, the administration of Donald Trump has been considering deploying troops to capture the island. The move could be used as leverage to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said intelligence inputs suggested that hostile countries may be planning to seize one of Iran’s islands with regional support. He warned that Iran is closely tracking such movements and would respond strongly if any action is taken.
“Based on some intelligence reports, Iran’s enemies are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands with support from one of the regional countries. Our forces are monitoring all enemy movements, and if they take any step, all the vital infrastructure of that regional country will be targeted with relentless, unceasing attacks,” he said in a post on X.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said that the US has not achieved its main objectives in the conflict, including a swift military victory or regime change in Tehran.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that the Pentagon has ordered around 2,000 additional troops from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to move to the Middle East from North Carolina. This is in addition to two Marine Expeditionary Units already heading to the region, the Tripoli group from Japan and the Boxer group from San Diego.
Together, these reinforcements could add between 6,000 and 7,000 personnel to the roughly 50,000 US troops already stationed in the Middle East.
This is one of the biggest US military buildups in the region in years, the kind not seen since the 2003 Iraq war, when around 160,000 American troops were sent in.
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