MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. If the US launches an operation to seize Iran’s Kharg Island, Iran could throw into action forces that have up until now remained out of the fray, Marat Zembatov, Director of the Center of Interdisciplinary Research at the Institute for Public Administration and Municipal Management at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, said in an interview with TASS.
According to the expert, an American operation on Kharg Island remains possible. "As for assessing its prospects, it seems unlikely that this will be problem-free in the medium term, simply due to the geography itself, as the island is exposed on all sides. This would require either an immediate, vigorous continuation of a land operation deeper into the territory, not limited to the island, which could attract the attention of other forces still hidden in Iran, and which could entail consequences that are not yet entirely clear to both sides," Zembatov noted.
He also did not rule out the possibility that the information about the operation on Kharg Island could be a US disinformation tactic. According to Zembatov, this kind of very aggressive posturing is typical in military negotiating.
"It’s difficult to say right now whether this will happen or not, but clearly, in my opinion, neither side is currently in a position where they could declare any significant possibility of achieving a quick military victory," the expert concluded.
Axios portal previously reported, citing sources, that the US administration is considering a naval blockade or seizure of Kharg Island. According to the portal, Washington hopes to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz by doing so.