Why hasn’t Trump taken Kharg Island yet?

[mystery-ak]

Why hasn’t Trump taken Kharg Island yet?

Most people feel it would end the war in a day or two, yet he’s been restrained. There are several reasons why this could be so.

Andrea Widburg | March 18, 2026

One of the things you’ll frequently hear (because it’s almost certainly true) is that all that’s needed to end this war is for Trump to order the U.S. military to seize Kharg Island. That’s because 90% of Iran’s oil output—and oil is how the Iranian tyranny has funded its terrorist infrastructure and lavish lives—flows through the Kharg Island refineries. It makes sense that, if you displace the Iranians in Kharg Island, the mullahs cannot continue to fight.

So, why hasn’t Trump done that? I have a few theories.

Before spelling out the theories, a quick background on Kharg Island. Kharg Island is a small coral outcropping (just 7.7 square miles), located at the top of the Strait of Hormuz, about 16 miles from the Iranian mainland. This is where Iran has almost all its oil refineries. It sold 90% of that oil to China, and China, in turn, has relied on oil from Kharg Island for around 13% of its oil imports—a not-insignificant share for a country that cannot meet its own needs with domestic production.

Last week, the United States military wiped out Kharg Island’s military infrastructure. However, Trump explicitly stated that he’d left the refineries intact, while also making it clear that he can easily change his mind about leaving Iran with control over the refineries. Why? Why not take them out or take them over? Here are my theories:

First, and most obviously, taking Kharg Island’s refineries won’t be quite as easy as Trump implies. Obviously, he doesn’t want to blow up the refineries because that would leave Iran without revenue when the mullahs are all dead or waving the white flag. That leaves only one alternative: an old-fashioned conquest. I have no doubt that American troops, especially special forces, can conquer the island, but it is a boots-on-the-ground operation that could result in casualties. Both Trump and the American people hate casualties.

Second, taking over Kharg Island creates a China problem. Right now, Iranian oil is still flowing to China, although at a drastically reduced rate. Disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz due to actual and potential Iranian strikes and mines has even affected China’s sanctions-avoiding “shadow fleet.”

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https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/03/why_hasn_t_trump_taken_kharg_island_yet.html

[DefiantMassRINO]

Kharg Island is a large marine terminal with storage tanks filled with volatile fossil fuel products.

Once US Troops land on Kharg Island, it would be easy for Iranians to blow it up, killing everone and destroying everything on the island.

This would shut off a major oil spigot to India, China, and other Asian nations.  It would cause dislocation in the global petroleum markets, possibly trigger a global recession or widening the war.

Securing Kharg Island does nothing to advance the securing of the Strait of Hormuz.  Logically, taking Kharg Island could be used as leverage in negotiations with Iran.  Unfortunately, with the current fanatical Iranian regime, thinking logically and acting logically is not an option.

The best way to deal with a pack of mad dogs is to put them down as soon as possible.

The Iranian regime does not want peace in the MidEast.  They use peace to buy time to advance their weapons programs.  Iran is the North Korea of the MidEast ... without nukes, yet.

[cato potatoe]

Russia is sharing near real-time satellite intelligence.  Our military would not send troops to a little island where they would be bombarded.  They could intercept the tankers on the high seas. 

The retrieval of radioactive material is going to be interesting.  Iran's foreign minister says it is buried beneath rubble fwiw, so things will have to settle down before that is an option.

[Cyber Liberty]

Securing Kharg Island does nothing to advance the securing of the Strait of Hormuz.

Ships are already traversing the Strait.  They are switching off their GPS transponders, making it difficult for Iran to target them.  The only ships that are still hesitant are the large supertankers and cargo ships....