US Official Reveals Trump 'Failed' to Control Iran, Now Targeting This
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering extreme military measures to seize Iran’s primary offshore oil export hub, Kharg Island. According to Axios, citing American official sources aware of the discussions, this operation would likely require deploying ground forces to the region on Monday, 16 March 2026.
The seizure plan has emerged as a strategic option on the White House desk amid the stalemate in Middle East conflict. An American official source told Axios that Trump’s current position heavily depends on smooth commodity flows in the Gulf region.
“Trump won’t be able to end the war, even if he wants to, as long as the blockade remains and shipments from the region are restricted,” the source said, also cited by Russia Today.
To date, Donald Trump has reportedly not made a final decision regarding the seizure of Kharg Island. A senior White House official confirmed to Axios that the president is still carefully weighing all consequences of this large-scale military operation.
“The president is considering the potential major risks and major rewards, but he will not wait and let the Iranian people dictate the pace of the conflict,” the senior White House official stated firmly.
The United States’ current focus is on Kharg Island, located in the northern Persian Gulf, offshore from Iran. This 20-square-kilometre island is Tehran’s most vital infrastructure, as it possesses storage facilities with a capacity of approximately 30 million barrels and is responsible for processing around 90% of Iran’s entire crude oil exports.
Tensions on the island have actually been building since Saturday night. Trump claimed that US military forces have moved in and successfully destroyed all targets there.
“US forces have eliminated every military target on the island and everything has been destroyed,” Trump said.
However, Washington’s one-sided claim was immediately met with strong rejection from Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that none of the island’s oil infrastructure facilities suffered damage from the US attack.
Behind the island seizure plan, Axios sources also mentioned that Trump is attempting to form an international coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway is crucial as it transports one-fifth of the world’s daily oil and gas supply, but is currently effectively closed due to a series of US-Israel attacks reportedly killing over 1,000 Iranian civilians.
This deteriorating security situation has sent major shockwaves through the global energy market. Global crude oil prices have reportedly surged nearly 50% to touch $120 (IDR 2 million) per barrel after the IRGC warned that ships from hostile nations are prohibited from transiting the strait.