As the war with Iran enters its second month, expectations of potential US ground operations are mounting. US media reports indicate that the Department of Defense is preparing for limited ground operations, with additional troops deployed to the Middle East in recent days.
Unnamed US officials informed The Washington Post that the Pentagon is planning raids on Kharg Island, where 90% of Iran's crude oil exports are processed, and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas is transported in peacetime, was effectively closed by Iran after the initial US-Israeli strikes on Tehran a month ago. Since then, only a few mostly Chinese-, Indian-, and Pakistani-flagged ships have been granted safe passage.
This has crippled global energy markets, sending the price of Brent crude soaring from about $65 per barrel pre-war to nearly $116 on Monday. According to The Washington Post, US military plans, which appear to fall short of a full invasion, could involve raids by special operations and conventional infantry troops.
In a Sunday interview with the Financial Times, US President Donald Trump allegedly stated he wants to “take the oil in Iran” and could seize Kharg Island. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that US troops would face resistance if they attempted an invasion. In a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, he said, “Our men are waiting for the arrival of the American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all.”
Military analysts note that current US deployments “point to limited, high-intensity operations like seizing Kharg Island or smaller islands in the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise the waterway and reopen shipping lanes, followed by quick extraction.” British safety and risk adviser John Phillips stated such operations could result in “high casualties and could be economically crippling for Tehran.”
Analysts suggest the most likely options include seizing Kharg Island, controlling strategic islands in the Strait of Hormuz, or removing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. Trump purportedly told the Financial Times on Sunday that seizing Kharg Island is a possibility: “Maybe we take Kharg Island. Maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options.”
Iran’s parliament speaker Ghalibaf warned on Wednesday that any such operations would be met with attacks on the “vital infrastructure” of any regional country assisting. Military experts highlight that Qeshm Island, home to extensive underground Iranian missile complexes described as a “missile city,” is a key strategic prize for US Marines being deployed to the strait.
Source: www.aljazeera.com