BREAKING: The Pentagon is developing military options for a "final blow" in Iran that could include the use of ground forces and a massive bombing campaign, per Axios.
US officials provide 4 "final blow" options:
1. Invading or blockading Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export…
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) March 26, 2026
US officials provide 4 “final blow” options:
1. Invading or blockading Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub
2. Invading Larak, an island that helps Iran solidify its control of the Strait of Hormuz
3. Seizing the strategic island of Abu Musa and two smaller islands, which lie near the western entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and are controlled by Iran but also claimed by the UAE.
4. Blocking or seizing ships that are exporting Iranian oil on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz
An official from one of the countries mediating between the US and Iran tells The Times of Israel that US President Donald Trump appears to be leaning toward ordering a US ground operation against Iran, with Washington convinced Tehran will buckle under such military pressure.
The official intimately familiar with the mediation efforts says the US privately recognizes that Iran is not likely to agree to the concessions presented in Washington’s 15-point plan and has dispatched thousands of troops to the region in order to capture Tehran’s Kharg Island on Trump’s orders.
A second official from a mediating country warns that while the US may be able to capture the island, holding onto it for an extended period of time will require many more soldiers and an extended period of fighting — far beyond the four-to-six week window that Washington has told the public that the war would last. While Saturday will be the four-week mark, the US still claims to be well ahead of schedule.