Iran Speaker warns “enemies are preparing to occupy” Kharg Island

Iran's influential parliament speaker issued a warning on Wednesday about a possible invasion of an Iranian island, allegedly backed by an undisclosed regional nation. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf shared this information in a post on X, written in both Persian and Arabic. He stated, “According to some intelligence reports, enemies of Iran are getting ready to take over one of our islands with help from a regional country. Our forces are keeping a close eye on all enemy activities, and if they take any action, we will target the crucial infrastructure of that regional state with relentless attacks.” Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump is deploying thousands of airborne troops and additional marines to the Gulf. There is speculation that he may plan a ground invasion to capture Iranian oil resources in the Gulf or secure the important Strait of Hormuz. Kharg Island, which is crucial for Iran’s crude oil exports, is seen as a potential target. Trump described it as a "little oil island that sits there, so totally unprotected." Earlier on Wednesday, an unnamed Iranian military official told local media that Iran would strike at shipping in the Red Sea if a ground invasion occurred, which could greatly escalate the conflict and disrupt international trade. Iran supports the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, which has previously attacked ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key route to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The official was quoted by the Tasnim news agency saying, “If the enemy tries a ground operation on Iranian islands or anywhere else on our land or seeks to impose costs on Iran through naval activities in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, we will open new fronts as a ‘surprise.’”