MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. The Americans can take Kharg Island without much difficulty, but they won't be able to hold it without major losses, RT military correspondent Alexander Kharchenko told TASS.
"It seems to me the Americans may risk landing on Kharg Island. Why? Because, firstly, they are amassing forces and resources, and the military is working out this exact scenario while, of course, awaiting a political decision. From the military’s perspective, a landing on Kharg Island is entirely possible, meaning there won’t be any particular difficulties," he believes. "But after that, the main question is what the Americans will do with this island. Holding it won’t be easy because it is located quite close to the Iranian coast, about 40 kilometers away."
He noted that "Iran will not accept this painful blow and will actively use drones and ballistic missiles." "This island is small enough that the Americans will not feel safe there, so they will undoubtedly suffer losses on this island," the military correspondent added.
In March 2026, US forces struck Iranian military targets on Kharg Island. According to US data, about 90 military targets were struck, but the island’s oil infrastructure was undamaged. On March 20, it was reported that US President Donald Trump was considering occupying the island to force Iran to unblock the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate. Trump claims the US can take the island "any time it wants." Tehran stated that in the event of an attack on Kharg, it would retaliate with large-scale missile and air strikes and "turn all US oil and gas facilities to ashes."