“….. I told them openly …. I’ll knock the hell out of it ….. totally obliterated every military target ….. the island was out of commission, except for the pipes, which I left ….. I didn’t want to hit the pipes because, you know, it takes years of work to put them together, …… It’s dead militarily now, totally. Every military area ….. they have fled.” Donald Trump on bombing of Kharg island of Iran.
Does USA intend to capture the Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, along with coastal terrain of the Persian Gulf, particularly around Bandar Abbas port and the Strait of Hormuz? These indications come from two recent observations. First from Donald Trump himself, when he had said that he had “spared the oil pipes, because it takes years to build them”.
Second indication comes from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s statement that Israel had on its own attacked Iran’s oil and gas assets in the Persian Gulf region but will not carry out further attacks as per President Donald Trump’s desire. Netanyahu also claimed that he was helping USA to open-up Strait of Hormuz. It may be noted that US strikes on Kharg Island, the other day, concentrated on military facilities and not on the oil terminal and storage installations. It has a clear message of US intentions.
Kharg Island provides a sea port for the export of up to 90% of Iran’s oil products, as well as supplying storage for up to 30 million barrels (5 million cubic meters) of oil, and is therefore strategically important.
Kharg Island’s capture will make an interesting geopolitical scenario. It will make China depend upon Russia for its energy needs. It may provide an opportunity to Russia to not only twist the Chinese tail on Vladivostok dispute but also allow Russia to regain its lost stature as the former Soviet Union, besides giving a fillip to the Russian economy
Kharg Island is often referred to as the “Forbidden Island”, too. It is situated in the Persian Gulf, and lies 25 kilometers (16 mi) off the coast of Iran and 483 kilometers northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. The island lies close to several offshore oil fields, including the Faridun, Darius, Cyrus, and Ardašir fields. The city of Kharg and the Jazireh-ye Khark Lighthouse are located on the island, which has its own freshwater supply.
Now the question arises: will the island’s capture break the back of Iran’s resistance? Perhaps yes! If it happens, then USA will not only control Iranian oil and gas supplies but also that from the rest of the Gulf countries. It will then choke oil and gas supply to China — which is its ultimate objective.
The island’s capture will make an interesting geopolitical scenario. It will make China depend upon Russia for its energy needs. It may provide an opportunity to Russia to not only twist the Chinese tail on Vladivostok dispute but also allow Russia to regain its lost stature as the former Soviet Union, besides giving a fillip to the Russian economy.
Further, it also leads to the speculation of some kind of a deal between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin? No one knows what transpired between the duo during their Alaska meet in August 15, 2025.
The UNO might go through radical changes. Global economy might take a major hit. There would be a tectonic shift amongst the global players, who would pull the strings. World is at the cusp of a total transformation, though it might not be a clean break with the past!
The recent diatribe of President Trump against NATO countries gives an inkling that USA might leave EU to hang on its own. NATO nations have declined to involve themselves in any military operation leading to the opening-up of the Strait of Hormuz. On this issue USA might leave NATO, which will make it an orphan. NATO survives on US money. With NATO collapsing, Europe becomes vulnerable. Of course, Ukraine will be the ultimate sufferer.
There are signs of a major geopolitical shake up in the world, post this Gulf War 3.0. The very form of war would get a new definition. Armed forces, everywhere, would have to restructure themselves. Combat Zones would be redefined with “No Fronts, No Rear”. New military alignments and groups might emerge. A simultaneous process of “Fission and Fusion” will give birth to new nations and at the same time break up some united artificially.
The UNO might go through radical changes. Global economy might take a major hit. There would be earnest efforts, world-wide, to give a push to not only alternate sources of energy but also multiple currencies might replace Dollar as the reserve currency. There would be a tectonic shift amongst the global players, who would pull the strings. World is at the cusp of a total transformation, though it might not be a clean break with the past!
-An ex-NDA and Wellington Staff College graduate, Col Rajinder Singh is a renowned author and security analyst. He has authored four books, two individually and two in collaboration. His best-selling books are Kashmir – A Different Perspective and The ULFA Insurgency. The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
