Key Points and Summary: Following the US bombing of its nuclear sites, Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint.
-Rather than direct retaliation on the Iranian mainland, the US should counter this threat by seizing Kharg Island, the terminal through which 90% of Iran’s oil is exported.
The Spirit of Pennsylvania B-2 Spirit assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron lands at Edwards Air Force Base, California, July 17. (Air Force photo by Lindsey Iniguez)
-This would financially cripple the regime while preserving vital infrastructure for a post-theocracy Iran.
-Additionally, the US should issue an ultimatum to Iran’s two navies—the IRGC’s coastal patrol and the regular blue-water navy to either dock and surrender or be sunk, thus ensuring freedom of navigation without a broader, destructive war on Iranian soil.
Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz? Seize Kharg and Sink the Iranian Navy
Following the U.S. bombing of Iran’s three most fortified nuclear sites, the Iranian government swore revenge. The Iranian parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz.
However, this is more symbolic than real, given both that elected Iranian bodies have no power over security policy and that the Islamic Republic relies on the Strait of Hormuz both to export its oil and import much of its refined gasoline.
Still, the United States and its allies should counter any move to interfere with freedom of navigation and commerce across a major waterway, especially one in which its Arab allies depend for their commerce.
How Iran Must Be Punished: Take Kharg Island
The U.S. response should be overwhelming. First, it should seize Kharg Island. Most tankers cannot safely get into Iranian ports because the Persian Gulf is so shallow, and the Iranian side is very rocky.
As a result, they load their supply from offshore terminals, the largest of which is the Kharg oil terminal on Kharg Island, 16 miles off the Iranian coast.
Iran exports approximately 90 percent of its crude oil through Kharg. Bombing Kharg will be counterproductive because if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei falls and the Islamic Republic collapses, Iran will likely become a Western ally again; its new government will need Kharg to fuel Iran’s reconstruction and bring revenue to support the new government.
Occupying Kharg would strain the Islamic Republic financially, but preserve the infrastructure.
This idea is not new: During the Carter administration, it was the centerpiece of Admiral James Lyon’s plans to compel the release of the American hostages, although President Jimmy Carter ultimately vetoed the idea.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor approaches the boom of a KC-135 Stratotanker during a refueling mission over the Florida Panhandle, Dec. 14, 2022. Aerial refueling allows pilots to stay airborne for longer periods of time, increasing the mission capabilities individual aircraft can support. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Betty R. Chevalier)
Strike the Navy
Continued Iranian aggression also merits a response against Iran’s two navies: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrols the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
It is responsible for both operations, such as the limpet mines its personnel attached to ships off the coast of the Emirati export facility at Khor Fakkan, and the interception of other tankers in international waters.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy speedboats regularly harass shipping. It is now time to sink the speedboats and the piers upon which the Revolutionary Guards depend for their vessels and the smuggling upon which the organization depends far more than its official budget.
The regular Iranian navy projects power far beyond the range of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps counterparts. Its submarines now ply the northern Indian Ocean, and its vessels, both official naval ships and cargo vessels operating on its behalf, support the Houthis.
The United States should issue an ultimatum: Either ships dock at key Indian Ocean ports and surrender to local authorities, or the United States will sink them. Iranians should not complain; after all, they once launched Operation Morvarid, a 1980 operation in which Iranian forces largely sank Iraq’s navy, an event that for Iraq was equivalent to the 1941 Japanese strike on Pearl Harbor.
Time to Limit the Damage
The United States must take care to limit damage to Iran itself for two reasons: First, the Iranian people are not an enemy, and second, the less damage Iran suffers, the easier it will be for the country to recover once Iranians throw off Khamenei and his fellow clerics.
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Occupying Kharg, an isolated island of less than eight square miles, and targeting the Islamic Republic’s two navies would fulfill the objective of preventing any meaningful damage to Iranian territory while ensuring freedom of navigation.
If Khamenei challenges Trump to continue, Trump must deftly call his bluff.
About the Author: Dr. Michael Rubin
Michael Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum. The views expressed are his own.
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D-O-Y-L-E
June 22, 2025 at 4:38 pm
Closing, attempting to close, or interfering with the hormuz (by a hostile power) is the ULTIMATE wet dream of all wet dreams of the US global empire.
That ranks as the top wet dream of DoD and US State dept.
The other one is a similar action or replica action regarding taiwan (What else).
As donald trump and benjamin netanyahu are calling the shots today, iran’s best hope and Perhaps, ONLY HOPE, is to consult with russia.
IF THE ATTACKS ON IRAN CONTINUE UNABATED, russia must retaliate against the ukro nazis with nukes.
Supposing the two aloizovich sobs and their NATO/EU friends try to hit russia with same stance on iran, all russia needs to do is whack Taipei with a topol-MR.
Russia and iran will then GET THEIR REVENGE. Bye-bye. Ta-da.
waco
June 22, 2025 at 4:57 pm
China has betrayed russia, gaza and iran by exporting HUNDREDS of tons of rare earths items to the US in april and may 2025 alone.
No doubt some, or a smaller portion of them, were used in the weapons employed against donbass, gaza and iran.
By US and israel. Thanks, china. Thanks a hundred times.
Thanks a million. Betrayer.
Topol
June 22, 2025 at 8:07 pm
Heh, Heh, Heh. HEHH.
Heeeh, heeeh, Heh…heehh!
Russia, today, now, in 2025, has all da big cards in its hands. One biggcard is the topol-m series of rockets.
1) TOPOL-M also called SS-27.
2) TOPOL-MR also called SS-29.
One topol sent toward Taipei will completely result in trump and sidekicks crashing & colliding with xi of china, and result is ww3, minus the participation of russia and iran and gaza.
They’ll all be watching the massive show live on TV.
Tom lahman
June 23, 2025 at 4:51 am
Every dime spent on chinese products is another nail driven in our coffin! Was it Stalin who said:”We will sell them the rope we will use to hang them with!”
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Francis Clark
June 23, 2025 at 11:30 am
IMHO: Closure of the Straights is a Chinese, Indian, and North Korean problem as it is their oil supplies that will be interdicted. The “free ride” for defending seaways is over! If they want us to assist, well: what will they pay for us doing so?
NotaLefty
June 23, 2025 at 11:35 am
Look at the basement dwelling trolls supporting Russia, Iran and China.
All we need to do is take out Iran’s pipeline and storage tanks and they can’t ship ANY oil and China immediately loses 50% of its oil.
Bob
June 23, 2025 at 1:44 pm
Quite a few Coms, on here plotting against the US.
All the calls of Nazi, toward the US and Israel and any other free nation are childishly reminiscent of Joseph Goebbels cranking out propaganda, so that would be the pot calling the kettle black!
Irans people are weak. Under their “government” if they so much as speak out against their own, they disappear in the night to be shot in the head. It’s no wonder they won’t rise up and fix their own problems. Same with China and Russia. As long as you play the party way, they let you live to work for them.
It doesn’t have to be that way ! While the US isn’t perfect, we already sorted out our government problems, and can deal with them.
Racing to get nukes, to destroy those others you secretly envy, is ridiculous when you can’t even fix your own internal problems. All the posturing and hate of others is crazy, fix your own house!
Donald Berry
June 23, 2025 at 1:55 pm
IMO there was no pressing justification for the recent bombing. I think Trumps ego and insult over his fizzled parade, TACO, lowering polls drove this decision more than strategic necessity. For all his railing over Dubya and Iraq he’s looking for the war time prez boost Bush got. That said he’s put us into the s**t on this and the Iranians are pressed to act, there’s real risk of escalation here. If it happens, cause and effect, objectively, academically, necessarily I cant fault the strategic merit of what you argue.
Z-Bob
June 23, 2025 at 2:21 pm
It was Lenin who made the rope comment. Although I’m sure Stalin felt free to borrow the line.
Timothy H
June 23, 2025 at 2:23 pm
All we have to do,,,, ever heard of MAD? It’s a real thing. Winning the game of everyone loses isn’t much of a prize is it.
Charles J Short
June 23, 2025 at 6:23 pm
Maybe you should look back in history
The US and Great Britain helped overthrow the elected government of Iran , and installed the Shah, when it contemplated nationalizing its oil industry…..how did that work out?
Isn’t time to declare the middle east a nuclear free zone…..and compell all the countries to sign on to UN Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Amer I. Can
June 23, 2025 at 7:54 pm
I love how all you are l warmongers think that any action by the US or it’s master, Israel, can occur in a vacuum. “Just take out this or take over that or bomb this” and Iran/Russia/China will just sit there and watch their national interests and nations get destroyed. Idiots. The whole lot of including this neocon Rubín. Go back into your rat holes or start concerning yourselves with AMERICA (FIRST AND ONLY!)! The American people are sick of you and all these g-d damn foreign wars!
Day_n_knight
June 23, 2025 at 11:19 pm
Michael Rubin just published the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a long time. If the US did what he is suggesting it would very likely end in WW3. Iran is already talking with Russia. Russia’s military has been revealed to be a paper tiger, but they have real nukes.
jack allen
June 24, 2025 at 4:38 pm
Why should I listen to this guy Rubin? Nah, I don’t think I want a “regime change” in Iran.
For2ity
June 24, 2025 at 6:00 pm
I’m not confident that taking Kharg Island would work. First, it’s well within artillery range, so Iran wouldn’t even have to use it’s missiles. Secondly, it places US “boots on the ground” — which would be a very bad idea. Israeli boots? Same problem.
Plus, closing the Strait would hurt Iran more than anyone else.
Derek L Washington
June 24, 2025 at 6:30 pm
So we attack them unprovoked and then we should do what? In other words this is about what it’s always about. Oil. Which is why big oil killed evs in the United States. Can’t start wars over clean energy.
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BILLYBOY
June 28, 2025 at 5:47 pm
D-O-Y-L-E, i think you are on the wrong website. This is not 4chan/pol/. Go write your Poccya fanfic there with the other loonies.
Patrick La Manna
July 16, 2025 at 9:34 am
People seem to love to say that “the Iranian people are not our enemies.” But do they know that? Because they sure have been acting like they think they are our enemies for almost the past 50 years now.