The U.S. military has dispatched an additional 3 warships and 2,500 amphibious troops, potentially preparing for a swift attack on Iran's oil export choke point.

Ask AI · What economic considerations are behind the Trump administration’s troop buildup in the Persian Gulf?

The Persian Gulf is in a state of constant undercurrent. The Trump administration is considering taking control of or blockading Khark Island—the export hub for Iranian oil—in order to pressure Iranian authorities into lifting the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to a report by CCTV News on March 20, the U.S. amphibious assault ship “Whipsnaw” and two other ships of the same type, carrying about 2,500 personnel from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (11th MEU), are heading to the Middle East and are expected to arrive within a week.

The “Whipsnaw” is a core power-projection platform of the U.S. military in the Asia-Pacific region and other global flashpoints; meanwhile, the core mission of the highly mobile 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit is to be ready at any time to carry out amphibious assaults and other missions in global flashpoint areas.

Khark Island is located in the northern Persian Gulf, just 25 kilometers from the Iranian mainland. It is the hub for 90% of Iran’s oil exports. The oil industry is an absolute pillar of Iran’s national economy, contributing about 60% of fiscal revenue and nearly 90% of foreign-currency income. If an opponent were to take military action to destroy or seize the island’s facilities, the consequences would be escalation of the war and another round of turbulence in energy markets.

In recent times, U.S. officials and military commanders have repeatedly made remarks about launching attacks and invasions on Khark Island. Some analyses suggest that if the U.S. military truly plans to strike the island, it is expected to adopt a composite strategy of “joint air-sea coordinated raids + amphibious landings + rapid seizure and control of the island.”

Iran has deployed air-defense missile systems, naval bases, anti-ship missile positions, and helicopter hangars on the island, among other assets. Along the coast there are also large numbers of anti-ship missiles, fast boats, and mines. This is expected to put the U.S. military into a high-consumption state of “24-hour air-defense alert.”

As early as March 13, the U.S. military launched airstrikes against military targets on Khark Island, but did not destroy the island’s oil infrastructure. Three days later, Trump said from the White House that the pipelines on Khark Island would eventually have an accident, suggesting that the U.S. military might strike its oil infrastructure.

Earlier, an Iranian armed forces spokesperson warned that all countries that carry out attack operations targeting Khark Island will have their oil and natural gas facilities become strong targets for Iran’s retaliation.

Over the past two days, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran launched fierce actions, directly targeting energy facilities linked to U.S. interests and holding shares with the U.S., with targets being five oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

Before Trump returned to the White House last year, he had promised during the campaign that he would curb inflation and prevent the military from becoming deeply trapped in overseas conflicts. Now, both of these have been broken.

The average retail price of U.S. diesel has surpassed $5 per gallon, the second time in history it has exceeded this level. The U.S. Department of Defense has asked the White House to approve a request to Congress for more than $200 billion in funding for a war against Iran.

Some members of the U.S. Congress are prepared to push forward legislation to limit Trump’s war powers. A recent poll shows that about 65% of the public believe Trump will order troops to be sent to Iran and launch a large-scale ground war, while only 7% support this approach.

Under pressure from soaring oil prices, on March 18 Trump announced a 60-day suspension of the implementation of the Jones Act, allowing key resources such as oil, natural gas, fertilizers, and coal to flow freely to U.S. ports within the aforementioned period.

He is trying to use this measure to lower domestic transportation costs, support military logistics, and continue supplying energy to U.S. military bases. Last week, the U.S. also announced releasing 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic petroleum reserves.