In recent weeks, Iran has been laying traps and moving military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in an attempt to prepare for a possible US operation to gain control of the island, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with US intelligence.
Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf, is Iran’s primary hub for oil exports. Senior US officials in recent days have been debating whether to launch a ground military operation there, since the military accelerates the deployment of thousands of Marines and Navy personnel to the region.
However, US officials and military experts have noted that such a ground operation has significant risks involved, including large numbers of American casualties, per CNN.
Iran has been prepping the island for a possible US invasion by setting up layered defenses, including 'shoulder-fired, surface-to-air guided missile systems known as MANPADs,' and laying traps on the shorelines where US troops would land, like anti-personnel and anti-armor mines.
The US has already launched strikes on the island, hitting 90 targets, including 'naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites,' according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
