Kharg Island
Kharg Island is in the news a lot, so let’s talk about it. It is the primary shipping hub for Iranian oil located near the northeast end of the Gulf. It is 107 miles (172 kilometers) from Iraq. Just to state the obvious, it is no where near the straits of Hormuz (it is 410 miles, 660 kilometers, away from them).
The island can actually be seen on this map near Iran, opposite of Kuwait. If I had a graphics person, we would add a red dot to the map.
It is a coral outcrop some 16-17 miles (25-28 kilometers) off the coast of Iran. It is 5 miles long (8 kilometers) and 2.5 to 3 miles wide (4-5 kilometers). The highest elevation is 230 feet (70 meters). It has its own supply of fresh water and the waters around it are deep. There are a number of nearby offshore oil fields that are piped directly to the island. It is the sea port for the export of 90% of Iran’s oil products. It has the ability to store up to 30 million barrels of oil. It has a population for 8,193 as of 2016, It is the home of several archaeological sites, including a Christian monastery.
Now, the U.S. is assembling forces. On the way to the Gulf is the 31st MEU (based in Okinawa), which will be arriving maybe later this week. It is based round the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7). These are small carriers. Along with it is the USS New Orleans (LPD-18). See: UPDATED: Tripoli ARG, 31st MEU Transit Malacca Strait En Route to the Middle East – USNI News.
Being sent there from the west coast is the 11th MEU, based out of Camp Pendelton CA, along with the USS Boxer (LHD-4), USS Comstock (LSD-45) and USS Portland (LPD-27). It will take three weeks or longer to arrive.
A Marine Expeditionary Unit is a brigade size force of 2,200 that includes command elements, a reinforced infantry battalion, a composite helicopter squadron and a logistics combat element. It can land a reinforced battalion. The U.S. has 7 MEU’s. Two are soon expected to be in the gulf region. Besides landing these MEU’s, the Marine Corps does not have any independent capability to conduct an opposed landing of a brigade-size force or larger. See: Marine Expeditionary Unit – Wikipedia
It is close enough to Iraq that forces could be inserted by helicopter directly from there or from a number of other spots in the Persian Gulf. If operations were done against Kharg, it would probably be an air assault vice an amphibious operation, even though certainly Marines would be involved. I gather there are some army assets in the region including the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, and the 2nd Battalion of the 127th Infantry Regiment (Wisconsin National Guard). I assume they are both located in Iraq and Syria. (See:10th Mountain brigade to deploy to Middle East, Army says | Stars and Stripes and Army’s 10th Mountain Division gets orders to deploy to Middle East ). This provides four additional maneuver battalions. Additional army assets are being sent to the gulf, including helicopters. There are rumors that one brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division might also be sent.
So potentially in three weeks are so we will have six maneuver battalions available for operations in either Kharg, Isfaran (see: Isfaran – The Dupuy Institute) or Qeshm or other islands in the Straits of Hormuz.
Good summary. It is timely too as there is a lot of speculation that the US will attack Kharg. Here is a report from the BBC entitled “Why does the US have Iran’s Kharg Island in its sights?”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jxzlwvd8ro
Better use Army Rangers. Can make quick landing at night & dug in by morning
Hard to see what taking the island would accomplish, other than being a source of casualties.
I think it there’s an operation would be elsewhere.
Well, I think there is only three “immediate” options: 1) Kharg, 2) Isfaran and 3) Qeshm. Have a post going up tomorrow on Qeshm.
If neither of these three options look attractive, then it is possible the administration will decide to do nothing.
The inland operation would make more sense (if doable)
Because taking some island would not open the strait to traffic, and if they want to block the Iranian exports there are easier ways.
Thanks.
Yes, well there are limits to what can be done in a limited war.
The Isfaran option would provide direct access to the nuclear facilities so they could either be finally destroyed or verified as having been destroyed in the 2025 attack. This seems to be the fundamental cause of this war.
There would be a high cost in casualties and logistics, but stopping the ongoing loss of life and the economic effects for the rest of the world may make the invasion of Isfaran a more desirable option than the cost of continuing the current war indefinitely.
It is proposed that Iran’s nuclear facilities seem “… to be the fundamental cause of this war.”
I suggest that the fundamental cause of the war is Iran’s unwillingness to bend to the will of Washington. Washington loved Iran when the Shah was Washington’s boy in Tehran. Since 1979 Washington, having lost control of Iran, has hated Iran. Nuclear facilities are not what this is about.
While I agree that Iran has angered the US at times, the US would not unleash the sort of bombardment we have just seen simply because it does not like a ruler. A nuclear threat that is likely to be used would be required.