March 20, 2026

Axios: US Considers Seizing Iranian Island of Hark

The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Hark Island to force the Islamic Republic to resume shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by Axios sources. Hark Island. Photo: European Union / EPA. 90% of the Islamic Republic's oil exports pass through Hark, which is located 24 kilometers from the coast of Iran, journalists noted. The US has already struck the island, but Trump emphasized that the targets were military, not oil facilities. Iranian authorities confirmed that fuel infrastructure was not damaged. An operation to capture the island could inflict greater damage on American troops than current combat operations. Therefore, it can only begin after the US further weakens Iran's military potential in the Strait of Hormuz area, Axios sources emphasized. "We need about a month to further weaken the Iranians with strikes, seize the island, and then take them by the balls and use it in negotiations," one of the publication's interlocutors said. In addition, such an operation would require an increase in the number of American troops in the region. According to Axios, three US Marine units are already heading to the Middle East. The White House and the Pentagon are considering sending an additional contingent beyond the forces already deployed in the near future, one of the sources noted. Despite the island's importance to Iran's oil industry, there are no guarantees that its capture will convince Tehran to conclude peace on American terms, Axios noted. If the US decides to take this step, Iran may "shut off the oil flow from the other end," as Washington does not control oil production in the Islamic Republic, said retired US Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery. The risks of this operation are disproportionate to the uncertain outcome, the military man added. According to him, the most realistic scenario is escorting tankers with destroyers and aviation, without the need for invasion. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway through which about a quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade and a fifth of liquefied natural gas supplies pass. After the start of the war between Israel and the US against Iran, shipping through it practically ceased. The Islamic Republic attacks all ships attempting to pass through it.