US Officials Reveal Pentagon Plans to Seize Iran's Kharg Island Postponed Due to High Risk

A senior U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) official and two administration officials reported that the Pentagon had developed plans months ago to seize Iran's Kharg Island, vital for oil exports. These plans, however, were repeatedly postponed due to the operation's extremely high-risk nature. Officials indicated that prevailing assessments within the White House and the Pentagon suggested that controlling Kharg Island or destroying its energy infrastructure could effectively lead to "Iran's bankruptcy," severely limiting its capacity to continue the war. These officials further clarified informing President Donald Trump that such an operation would likely necessitate deploying a large number of ground troops, potentially resulting in significant U.S. casualties. Based on these evaluations, the White House and Pentagon considered any move to seize Kharg Island a "final stage option" or "last resort," a step capable of altering the war's balance but at an exceptionally high cost. Officials also stated that the U.S. military had previously conducted several large-scale airstrikes targeting military facilities on Kharg Island, deliberately avoiding the island's vital energy infrastructure during those attacks.