The most prominent target has been Kharg Island, a coral outcrop of less than 9 sq miles, off Iran’s coast. And an assault to take Kharg Island would mark a rare contested amphibious landing by US troops potentially under drone, rocket and artillery fire. The US has already hit 90 targets on Kharg Island, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Dan Caine, said last week. But the troops Trump has sent to the region could be leveraged for other missions. “I think there’s a huge concern in the Trump administration, and rightly so, about US casualties,” Max Boot, a foreign policy analyst, historian and columnist, told the Council on Foreign Relations thinktank.

Source: The Guardian March 28, 2026 16:01 UTC