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US3 min(s) read
Published 16:52 26 Mar 2026 GMT
Donald Trump once gave a huge hint as to where he might attack if he was to launch a ground attack on Iran.
Except that he gave that hint decades ago, all the way back in 1988.
After he initially launched Operation Epic Fury, bombing the Middle East using air strikes, the global threat has only increased.
There have been threats from Trump and his government, as well as return threats, and ultimatums have been issued.
So far, nobody seems to have made much progress on a lasting solution to the issue - despite claims from both sides.
From Iran’s side, they don’t want to give an inch, despite the likelihood that the US possesses significantly more firepower.
From the US side, they don’t want to be seen to lose face against an old enemy, or to be cowed by a much smaller nation.
It all adds up to a pretty terrifying political picture, and one that we are some way from resolving.
However, there are clues from the past that can give us an insight into how the war might develop.
At the minute, there is a lot of speculation that if the US were to mount a ground invasion, it would happen at a place called Kharg Island.
It has also been reported that the Iranian forces are attempting to fortify that very same location for fear that the US might try to take it.
Kharg is a significant location for the region, sitting in the Persian Gulf, and given that it is responsible for handling 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports.
There have been reports that the USA has sent 1,000 paratroopers to the region, as well as the USS Tripoli.
In the Iranian Parliament, speaker Mohammad Baghar Qalibaf speculated that ‘based on some intelligence reports, Iran’s enemies are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands with support from one of the regional states’.
That could refer to the US, Israel, or both.
He added: “Our forces are monitoring all enemy movements, and if they take any step, all the vital infrastructure of that regional state will be targeted with relentless, unceasing attacks.”
In the past, as far back as 1988, Trump has admitted that Kharg would be the place he’d strike if he were ever in charge.
That day might now be close at hand.
In a Guardian interview in the late 1980s, Trump said: “I’d be harsh on Iran.
“They’ve been beating us psychologically, making us look like a bunch of fools.
“One bullet shot at one of our men or ships and I’d do a number on Kharg Island. I’d go in and take it.”
To be honest, all options are on the table at the minute.
The US hasn’t ruled out a ground assault, and Trump has made some pretty explicit threats.
For their part, Iran appears to be preparing for that eventuality, with reports of heavy fortifications on the island, including surface-to-air missiles.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that, or anything at all, for that matter.
