Analysis: The deployment of US Marine Expeditionary Forces to the Middle East may enable them to seize Harg Island.

PANews reported on March 14th that, according to Jinshi, Mark Kancien, a defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Marine Corps colonel, believes that with a Marine expeditionary force deployed to the Middle East, Trump now has the option of attempting to seize Harqa Island, Iran's main oil export hub. Kancien stated, "This is the first ground combat force to go to the region. The U.S. might be able to take the island and then declare the operation over." However, Kancien believes that such an operation could be logistically challenging because Harqa Island is located at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf. Iran possesses an arsenal of coastal defense cruise missiles, drones, and armed speedboats, which could pose a threat to U.S. forces.