23.03.2026 00:32
It has been claimed that the United States is accelerating troop deployments to potentially launch a ground attack on Hark Island, which is Iran's oil export hub. According to the claim, U.S. officials have informed their counterparts in Israel and other countries in recent days that the U.S. may have no choice but to initiate an attack to occupy Hark Island.
It has been claimed that the United States is accelerating the deployment of personnel to the region as part of preparations for a possible landing on Hark Island, one of Iran's oil terminals in the Persian Gulf.
THE U.S. IS PREPARING FOR A GROUND ATTACK
According to a report by Israel's Jerusalem Post, based on sources who wished to remain anonymous, the U.S. is considering launching a ground attack on Hark Island.
Senior U.S. officials have informed their counterparts in Israel and other countries that the U.S. may have no option but to initiate an attack to occupy Hark Island.
DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS HAS ACCELERATED
A U.S. source familiar with the matter stated that the American military is accelerating the deployment of thousands of Marines and naval personnel to the Middle East to prepare for a landing on Hark Island.
The report noted that this deployment includes the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, which consists of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, as well as the amphibious transport ships USS Portland and USS Comstock, and that these three ships carry approximately 4,500 Marines and additional combat personnel.
The report highlighted that Hark Island in the Persian Gulf is a major hub for Iran's oil exports, with about 90% of crude oil being sent to China from there, and it pointed out that discussions have begun within the U.S. administration regarding whether to occupy the island.
IRAN'S VITAL ARTERY IN OIL EXPORTS: HARK ISLAND
Hark Island is known as the main terminal where approximately 90% of Iran's oil exports are conducted.
The island, which has an area of about 21 square kilometers, is located off the coast of Bushehr province. It is approximately 30 kilometers from the Iranian mainland and about 55 kilometers from the port of Bushehr. Although it hosts oil terminals, Hark Island is a settlement with a population of around 8,200 people.
Despite its small area, the island, which is at the center of Iran's energy infrastructure, contains oil terminals, pipelines, and large storage tanks.
There is no direct oil production on Hark Island. Crude oil extracted from oil fields named Abu Zar, Foruzan, and Durud, located in Iranian territorial waters and offshore, as well as from some onshore oil fields, is transported via underwater pipelines to large storage and loading facilities on the island. The oil is stored in storage tanks or shipped primarily to Asian markets via large tankers.