US forces are preparing a potential amphibious assault on Kharg Island, the critical oil export hub holding 90 per cent of Iran's oil exports, according to military sources and the Financial Times. This operation could unfold within weeks as Washington weighs options to pressure Tehran amid escalating tensions. The island's capture would give the US control over virtually all of Iran's oil exports, allowing Washington to potentially choke off Tehran's revenue without destroying the facilities and risking global market chaos. Such a move would also serve as a bargaining chip to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with other options including capturing strategic islands in the waterway.

Military planners are deploying significant assets, including the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Tripoli and the 11th MEU aboard the USS Boxer. These units, each with approximately 2,200 marines, include V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and F-35 fighter jets. Former US military officials suggest a brief and fierce precision strike against defenses would precede an air assault or landing craft operation to seize the island. The operation faces immense challenges, including vulnerability to Iranian missiles, drones, and artillery, as well as potential minefields in the Strait of Hormuz.

While the US is militarily capable of taking Kharg, experts warn of enormous risks. Former Central Command intelligence director Karen Gibson notes the operation's difficulty lies not just in seizing the island but in holding it under sustained pressure. Retired admiral James Stavridis cautions that amphibious assaults under bombardment, like those planned, carry high casualty risks and could drag the US into an open-ended conflict. The operation's outcome remains uncertain, but its potential to disrupt global oil markets makes it a critical development for investors and policymakers.