March 20, 2026

What they’re saying: “He wants Hormuz open. If he has to take Kharg Island to make it happen, that’s going to happen. If he decides to have a coastal invasion, that’s going to happen. But that decision hasn’t been made,” a senior administration official told Axios.

  • “We’ve always had boots on the ground in conflicts under every president, including Trump. I know this is a fixation in the media, and I get the politics, but the president is going to do what’s right,” a second senior official said, adding no decision had been made.
Trump is considering a high-risk operation to seize Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub 15 miles offshore, to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but only after significantly weakening Iran’s military presence in the area; with three Marine units already en route and potentially more troops on the way, the administration is weighing a costly invasion that would put U.S. forces directly in harm’s way as part of a strategic effort to gain leverage in negotiations, though no final decision has been made.

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