Trump Considering Seizure of Iran’s Kharg Island Oil Hub, U.S. Officials Tell Axios

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A report published by Axios on Monday says that US President Donald Trump is working to assemble an international coalition aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted by tensions with Iran.

According to four sources cited by Axios, Trump hopes to announce the coalition later this week as Washington seeks to restore the flow of commercial shipping through the strategically vital waterway.

U.S. officials also told Axios that Trump is considering the possibility of seizing Iran’s key oil depot on Kharg Island if tankers continue to remain trapped in the Persian Gulf. Such a move would require the deployment of U.S. ground forces.

The situation has raised concerns in global energy markets, as oil and gas prices are rising while the blockade of the narrow strait continues, restricting a major portion of the world’s crude oil supply.

Iran is reportedly preventing Gulf countries from exporting their oil through the strait while allowing tankers carrying Iranian crude to pass freely, enabling its oil shipments to continue reaching countries such as China.

A source familiar with the matter told Axios that as long as the blockade remains in place and Gulf oil exports are restricted, Trump would be unable to end the ongoing conflict even if he wanted to.

In a post on the social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said the United States and several other countries would send warships to the Gulf to reopen commercial shipping routes. He also called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to participate in the effort.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said he “demands” that member states of NATO and other oil-importing nations, including China, help the United States secure the strait.