The US military may seize Kharg Island to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

According to a report by Odaily Planet Daily on the 19th, citing sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, the United States is deploying additional troops to the Middle East and may seize a key Iranian oil export hub to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. The report stated that approximately 2,200 US Marine Corps Expeditionary Force personnel are en route from Japan to the Middle East aboard an amphibious assault ship, expected to arrive in about a week. The US may use this force to occupy Kharg Island as leverage to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. Former US Central Command Commander Frank McKenzie said, "(The US military) could destroy its (Kharg Island's) oil infrastructure, which would cause irreparable damage to Iran and the global economy. Or it could occupy it as a bargaining chip." (Xinhua)