And if the real objective of the American forces was the Iranian port of Jask?

President Trump declared on March 30 that “significant progress” has been made in the talks to end the war, but he warned that serious measures could be taken if “an agreement is not reached quickly.”

He had previously stated that Tehran, “out of respect,” would allow the passage of 20 ships through the Strait of Hormuz on March 30. It is true that they pass in small numbers.

However, he stated the day before on Air Force One to journalists: “you never know with Iran. We negotiate with them and then…”

In a message posted on Truth Social the same day, he reiterated his remarks regarding the progress of the negotiations. He specifically stated that if Iran does not reach an agreement quickly, the United States will destroy “all its power plants, oil wells, and the Kharg Island (and perhaps even all its desalination plants!).”

Trump also stated the same day to the Financial Times that the United States could “seize Iranian oil” and that he was considering sending American forces to take control of the oil terminal on Kharg Island: “we may take Kharg Island, maybe not. We have several options.”

According to his latest statements, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is no longer a mandatory prerequisite for a ceasefire.

But he made it clear that US military action, if taken, would be “a response for our many soldiers, and others, whom Iran has massacred and killed during the 47 years of terror of the former regime.”

He talks about the possible seizure of Kharg Island, which he believes would be “an easy thing.” However, to reach it by sea, one must pass through the Strait of Hormuz and then face approximately 900 kilometers within range of Iranian sea-to-land missiles and drones lined along its coast. Even if the island is conquered and deemed lost by Tehran, it could be bombed from the coast located 25 kilometers away.

It is possible that Kharg may be a diversion, and the real target of the US naval deployment taking place in the Sea of Oman could be entirely different. It is important to note that to not fully rely on the “gas station” that is Kharg Island, Iran constructed and inaugurated in 2021 the 1,100-kilometer Goreh-Jask pipeline.

This infrastructure theoretically has a flow rate of one million barrels per day (Iran usually exports between 1 and 1.5 million barrels per day).

Not only is this pipeline and its pumping stations easy targets for American aviation, but the port of Jask is an achievable target located in the Gulf of Oman. While the situation may not be easy, as the Iranians have likely fortified the area, with American firepower, it is feasible as the US fleet does not need to further engage in the heavily protected Strait of Hormuz.

Concurrently, the US Navy could prevent tankers that loaded their oil on Kharg Island from exiting the Persian Gulf and, perhaps, “flatten” its installations under intense bombardment.

Both actions carried out simultaneously would prevent Tehran from exporting its oil, with all the catastrophic economic consequences that entail.

Of course, in retaliation, Tehran would target all petrochemical infrastructures in the region (possibly sparing Qatar, which no longer allows American military actions from its soil).

And the Iranian nuclear issue?

President Trump seeks to completely block Iran’s military nuclear development. However, an operation (contemplated by the press) led by special forces in the heart of Iran to retrieve the 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium hexafluoride allegedly repatriated to the fortress known as “Pickaxe Mountain” (a bunker buried in granite 80-100 meters deep) south of Natanz appears highly unfeasible.

(1) Trump claims that the power has shifted in Tehran. He is correct: the Pasdaran have officially taken control of operations without hiding, as they did in the past, behind the mullahs. In practice, they have always run the country.

(2) See: “What are Iranian defenses in the Persian Gulf?” on March 30, 2026.