US officials and military experts have warned that such an operation would carry significant risks, including the potential for heavy US casualties due to the island’s layered defenses.
Iran has reinforced defenses and deployed additional forces to Kharg Island in recent weeks as the United States weighs a possible operation to seize the strategic site, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence, CNN reported.
The preparations include the placement of anti-personnel and anti-armor mines, including along shoreline areas where US troops could attempt an amphibious landing, as well as the deployment of additional shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile systems known as MANPADS.
The moves come as the Trump administration considers using US troops to take control of the island, which handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports, as leverage to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
