Posted on 03/17/2026 4:36:20 PM PDT by Miami Rebel
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) says he believes the 2,500 U.S. Marines headed to the Middle East will be used to seize Iran’s Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf.
On Friday night, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. military “totally obliterated every military target” on Kharg, through which 90% of Iran’s oil exports pass. The president said the island’s oil infrastructure was left intact, but added that if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, he will “reconsider this decision.”
Sessions appeared on Tuesday’s CNN News Central, where Kate Bolduan asked the congressman if he would support their deployment in Iran. Sessions replied that he would support the occupation of Kharg, and insisted that this would not constitute “boots on the ground.”
“Are you okay with putting those troops on the ground?” she inquired.
“I actually spoke to some media last night, and I indicated that I believe that what these 2500 Marines of the Marine Expeditionary Force would be, would be to probably secure the island. The island is not, in my opinion, boots on the ground in combat circumstances.”
“How so?” an incredulous Bolduan asked. “It is Iran.”
“Well, I’m not gonna argue that point,” Sessions conceded. “As a matter of fact, you’re right. But what I would say is the president has chosen not to obliterate the ability to get oil. And I think he wants to go secure that to make sure the Iranians don’t do themselves in. So, I think it’s probably wisdom. Is that boots on the ground? No, not like inside Iran, where they’re in the cities where we go through circumstances that we’ve had in the past of large areas of population, combatants against us. And it is a mess.”
“Ok, but it is boots on the ground,” she said. “It’s just not a large number of boots on the ground that you would oppose.”
“No,” Sessions responded. “I really want to make this point. When we think boots on the ground, we think going back to Somalia, we think going back to Iraq, we think about going to Afghanistan. That is not what we are talking about. Or at least I am. I’m talking about to secure this facility, the oil facilities, which are in everyone’s best interest.”
Kharg Island is about 400 miles from the Strait of Hormuz and sits just 15 miles off the Iranian coast. If the U.S. were to take the island, any soldiers there could be subject to an onslaught of Iranian drones and missiles. Moreover, it is unclear if the seizure of the island would generate enough pressure on the Iranian government to reopen the strait.
Think about it. We invest billions in this. We will have a base right there.
I trust secretary of war and his real generals over the keyboard generals here.
Who cares if they do? We don’t buy oil from them. Marines will take the Strait of Hormuz, they won’t occupy the island.
Sessions is Deep State.
Take Kharg island, lease it back to the Iranians, and leave.
You don’t need an A-10 to chase a Shaheed drone. An Apache does just fine. Flies faster and carries lots of rounds. Detecting it’s small footprint may be an issue but I’ve seen war footage of Arab armies shooting these things down. And yes, the Iranian are launching them at civilians in the gulf. So, I would not be surprised if they tried to shoot and blow up their own oil reserves especially if the Island is held by US Marines/Navy.
In any case, taking the island seems like just minor escalation. The island is mostly useless as long as the Straits are closed. I suppose if the Iranians are pumping oil back inland we can shut that down. Otherwise, it’s just an island holding millions of barrels of oil doing nothing for anybody.
I think the Iranians have the potential to be one of America’s best trading partners. Because we took it upon ourselves to remove the IRGC, we have the responsibility to try and prevent catastrophic situations if possible.
It would block China from getting discounted oil, which is a plus.
Like Iran has not heard all of this and has not prepared for like the last 25 years for this expectation.
When Trump blew up the island last week he also destroyed the only plane runway so how will they get resupplied now of they invade?
Synecdoche
Take federal prisoners in our jails and dress them up as marines. Station them there after training them in small weapons. If they survive one year give them their pardons. If they die that’s cool.
I hope you Libertarian TDS tards give heavily to Free Republic because you’ve chased away a lot of Patriots.
Mortars cannot fire that far.
They have a 100 pound warheads. WWI bi-planes dropped 100 pound bombs.
Are you a menopausal woman? Because you post like one.
You mean Marines may be in harms way? When did that ever happen?
So?
Would make for an interesting reality show.
Take the island and let them keep shipping as long as the strait stays open.
??? fling-wings ???
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.