U.S. Marine Corps arrives in the Middle East

How will the occupation of Hark Island affect Iran’s oil exports?

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on March 28, U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Force 31 has arrived in the Middle East, with primary tasks including seizing territory, conducting raids, and intercepting ships.

On the same day, U.S. Central Command announced on the X platform that American sailors and Marines aboard the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on the 27th local time.

U.S. Central Command stated that this America-class amphibious assault ship is the flagship of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group/31st Marine Expeditionary Force. The force consists of approximately 3,500 sailors and Marines, as well as transport aircraft, attack fighters, and amphibious assault and tactical equipment.

U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility includes regions such as the Middle East.

On March 27 local time, the American expeditionary force arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

According to previous reports from ABC News, The New York Times, and other U.S. media, after dispatching the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship carrying the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit from Japan to the Middle East, the U.S. military has added three more warships and approximately 2,500 Marines to the region.

U.S. officials revealed on the 20th local time that the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship, the USS Comstock dock landing ship, and the USS Portland amphibious dock landing ship, along with about 2,500 Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, have set sail from San Diego, California, to the Middle East.

Additionally, the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division has halted its scheduled exercises and is mobilizing to Europe. The U.S. Department of Defense is considering deploying a combat brigade and some staff personnel from the 82nd Airborne Division to support U.S. military operations in Iran; this combat force will come from the 82nd Airborne Division’s “Rapid Reaction Force,” consisting of about 3,000 soldiers.

The New York Times cited U.S. officials saying that the military is also considering another plan to capture Hark Island, initiated by approximately 2,500 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed to the Middle East.

Hark Island is located in the northwestern Persian Gulf, about 25 kilometers from the Iranian coast, approximately 6 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide, and is Iran’s largest oil export base, with 90% of Iran’s oil exported from here. The U.S. military struck military targets on the island on the 13th.

In recent days, there have been ongoing reports that Trump plans to send troops to occupy Hark Island. The U.S. news site “AXIOS” reported on the 20th that White House sources revealed Trump is inclined to directly occupy Hark Island, as this would constitute an economic blow to the Iranian regime, forcing Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Additionally, according to The Wall Street Journal’s report on March 26, officials at the U.S. Department of Defense familiar with the relevant deployment plans revealed that the Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 ground troops to the Middle East, in order to provide Trump with more military options while he weighs negotiations with Iran.

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