The United States carried out extensive air strikes on Iran’s Khark Island, coinciding with the announcement of deploying a Marine Corps force to the region. According to observers, the move aims to pressure Iran while ensuring the ability to establish field control if necessary.
These American actions come amid ongoing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic corridor through which Iranian oil exports and major international shipping routes pass.
In this context, military expert Colonel Nidal Abu Zaid stated that the US bombardment focused on defensive positions and naval units belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The objective, he said, was to strip Iran of its defensive capabilities on the island, paving the way for the possibility of direct control by US Marine forces.
Abu Zaid explained in remarks to Al Jazeera that the deployed American force has the capability to conduct amphibious landing operations. He noted that air power alone cannot determine the outcome of a battle, stressing the necessity of deploying ground forces along the coasts near the Strait of Hormuz to prevent any response from the Revolutionary Guard and to protect ships and oil tankers.
A US defence official told Al Jazeera that the Marine expeditionary force based in Okinawa, Japan will be deployed to the Middle East in support of the ongoing operation against Iran. The force consists of approximately 2,200 personnel accompanied by naval vessels and is capable of carrying out evacuation and amphibious landing operations.
The news outlet Axios reported days earlier that discussions had taken place in Washington regarding the possibility of seizing Khark Island, through which roughly 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports pass. The island lies about 25 kilometres off the Iranian coast.
According to the military expert, the combination of bombardment and naval deployment represents a dual strategy consisting of:
Political and economic pressure on Iran by dismantling its air defence systems and threatening vital ports.
Providing field capability to control the island and its surrounding waters if necessary.
Abu Zaid added that US naval forces possess operational experience in protecting maritime transport, having previously escorted ships in conflict zones. This makes them a decisive factor in guaranteeing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Washington Post, citing three officials, reported that the US Department of War, the Pentagon, is preparing to send additional Marine reinforcements and warships to the Middle East amid escalating Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
These developments follow Washington’s announcement that it had used strategic bombers and heavy bombs to weaken Iranian defences on Khark Island. According to Abu Zaid, Marine forces represent the direct field option to seize the island if the conflict escalates.
Early Saturday, US President Donald Trump stated that the US Air Force had carried out what he described as the most intense strike in the history of the Middle East against military infrastructure on Iran’s Khark Island. He also threatened to target the island’s oil facilities.
In response, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that the American plan to strike military positions on Khark Island did not fully achieve its objectives, noting that Iranian defences were activated within an hour of the bombardment.
Since February 28, Israel and the United States have been launching attacks on Iran, resulting in hundreds of people killed and injured, including the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the defence minister, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, and other military leaders.
Tehran has responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel, in addition to targeting what it describes as American military bases and interests in the region.
