Iran fortifying Kharg Island amid fears of possible US ground op — report

By Nava Freiberg

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26 March 2026, 12:42 pm

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Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.

This handout image taken by the European Space Agency, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, shows a view of Iran's Kharg Island, which hosts the country's main crude export terminal and is responsible for the overwhelming majority of its oil shipments to the world, about 30 kilometers south of the mainland in the north of the Gulf, on March 7, 2026. (European Space Agency/AFP)

Iran is increasing military defenses on Kharg Island in anticipation of a possible US operation to seize the territory, sources familiar with US intelligence reporting tell CNN.

Tehran has been laying traps, moving military personnel and boosting air defenses amid fears of an American plan to take control of the island, which handles about 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports, according to the report.

Previous reports have indicated that US President Donald Trump is weighing such an operation in a bid to gain enough leverage over Iran to coerce it into reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

US officials and military experts have warned of significant casualty risks, saying the island is heavily fortified with layered defenses and that Iran had recently reinforced it with additional shoulder-fired, surface-to-air guided missile systems known as MANPADS, sources tell CNN.

The report comes as the Trump administration says it has made progress with Iran on a 15-point US ceasefire plan, though Tehran has publicly reacted coldly to the negotiations.

Regardless of the talks’ progress, the US has deployed 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division and 5,000 Marines toward the Gulf, with the Marines traveling on the USS Tripoli, an assault ship that could play a key role in a potential attack on Kharg, according to an NBC report.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned yesterday that Iran was preparing for such an assault, writing on X that “based on some intelligence reports, Iran’s enemies are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands with support from one of the regional states.

“Our forces are monitoring all enemy movements, and if they take any step, all the vital infrastructure of that regional state will be targeted with relentless, unceasing attacks,” he said.

Trump has not publicly ruled out the option of taking Kharg, a move he advocated for during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Trump told The Guardian in a 1988 interview that should he ever become US president, “I’d be harsh on Iran. They’ve been beating us psychologically, making us look like a bunch of fools. One bullet shot at one of our men or ships and I’d do a number on Kharg Island. I’d go in and take it.”