We have to take something that is a big asset...and not just “ground”....so it looks like the Island....with all that oil sitting right there...
The oil on Kharg comes from the mainland in pipes...if you are going render the Strait of Hormuz “safe” and have tankers load at Kharg you will have to take (”boots on the ground”) the coastline 50 miles or so inland of Kharg and also at the strait which means urban warfare in the streets of Bander Abbas and taking the island of “Qeshm”. About 80% of the Iranian “locals” will be friendly’ish (they oppose the Islamic Republic govt.), but that leaves 18.6 million govt,/IRGC/Basij supporters to deal with out of a 93 million total population.