US Deploys Nearly 5,000 Troops, Marines Amid Strait Of Hormuz Crisis, Signals Move On Kharg Island

Last Updated:March 23, 2026, 12:25 IST

A report has suggested that the US has deployed 4,500 sailors and Marines, signaling a strategy to secure the Strait of Hormuz and target Iran’s key oil hub at Kharg Island.

A fresh deployment of US Marines and sailors to the Middle East suggests Washington may be preparing for a more direct effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz and target Iran’s oil export infrastructure, The Washington Post reported.

According to the report, a contingent of 4,500 US sailors and Marines is being dispatched to the region, including an infantry battalion landing team backed by helicopters, F-35 fighter jets and armoured landing vehicles.

The Pentagon has also accelerated the deployment of a similar formation, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit from San Diego, in a move seen as reinforcing amphibious assault capability in the Gulf.

An Israeli official familiar with military and intelligence planning was quoted by the report as saying that the deployment signals a clear operational purpose.

“Those Marines aren’t coming for decoration," the official said, adding that the plan is “to take the island and the strait," referring to Kharg Island, Iran’s principal hub for exporting petroleum.

Control over Kharg Island could significantly reduce Tehran’s oil revenue and potentially shift the balance of pressure in the ongoing conflict, while also enabling Washington to demonstrate that shipping routes remain open, the report mentioned.

HORMUZ EMERGES AS KEY BATTLEFRONT

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply typically passes, has increasingly become the focal point of the conflict, according to information reported by AFP.

The news agency said Iran’s actions have amounted to a de facto blockade of the waterway, contributing to a surge in crude prices.

A barrel of Brent crude has risen more than 50 per cent over the past month, climbing above $105 amid fears of prolonged disruption.

Analysts cited by AFP suggested any effort to restore maritime traffic would likely require control of key islands at the entrance to the Gulf, including Siri, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Moussa, which Iran has fortified with anti-ship missile systems.

Daniel Schneiderman of Penn Washington, cited by AFP, said one scenario being considered involves using US Marines “to land on and hold Kharg Island, the site through which 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports pass," while another option could involve establishing a beachhead on Iran’s coast to restore freedom of navigation through the strait.

However, such operations would likely involve substantial risks.

Any concentration of forces in the narrow waterway could create what analysts describe as a “target-rich environment" for Iranian retaliation.

IRAN WARNS OF STRIKES ON ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

As the strategic focus shifts toward the Gulf’s shipping lanes, Iran has warned of sweeping retaliation if its power plants or energy infrastructure are attacked, according to Reuters.

Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaqari said that if Iranian fuel and energy infrastructure is targeted, “all energy infrastructure, as well as information technology… and water desalination facilities, belonging to the US and the regime in the region will be targeted pursuant to previous warnings."

Reuters reported that desalination plants produce 100 per cent of drinking water in Bahrain and Qatar, more than 80 per cent in the United Arab Emirates and around half of Saudi Arabia’s water supply.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also warned that key regional infrastructure could be “irreversibly destroyed" if Iranian electricity facilities are struck.

TRUMP DEADLINE ADDS URGENCY TO STANDOFF

The tensions intensified after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could strike Iranian power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

The prospect of tit-for-tat strikes targeting civilian infrastructure has added to volatility in global markets already shaken by weeks of conflict.

Tony Sycamore, an IG market analyst cited by Reuters, described the situation as a “48-hour ticking time bomb of elevated uncertainty" hanging over financial markets.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the strait would remain closed until damaged infrastructure is rebuilt, signalling that the standoff could persist.

CONFLICT SPREADS ACROSS REGION

The war, which began with US and Israeli bombardment of Iran on February 28, has widened geographically, with strikes hitting energy sites across the Gulf.

Drone attacks have targeted Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery and Qatar’s Ras Laffan natural gas facility, while Iranian retaliation followed Israeli strikes on the South Pars gas field, one of the world’s largest reserves.

The conflict also spilt into Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel since early March, prompting Israeli military operations.

Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Israel expects “weeks more of fighting against Iran and Hezbollah."

NO CLEAR EXIT AS PRESSURE BUILDS

Despite signals that Washington has considered winding down operations, the military build-up and threats to critical infrastructure suggest the conflict may intensify before any diplomatic resolution emerges.

AFP reported that US objectives have ranged from dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities to broader goals such as preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons and weakening its leadership structure.

At the same time, Iran appears to be calibrating its response to sustain long-term pressure while conserving resources, according to analysts cited by AFP.

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