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Delta Force Prepares to Capture Iran's Kharg Island - 95% of Iranian Oil Goes Through (Original Post) orangecrush 23 hrs ago OP
They'll be sitting ducks on that island. RandySF 23 hrs ago #1
Exactly it seemed like that would be an insane move oldmanlynn 18 hrs ago #51
Nonsense. It does not pass the sniff test. drray23 23 hrs ago #2
Trump announced it Johnny2X2X 22 hrs ago #31
LOL Prairie Gates 23 hrs ago #3
We'll see. orangecrush 23 hrs ago #7
I think you guys answered your own questions. ABC123Easy 23 hrs ago #4
Kharg is far from Hormuz. JCMach1 23 hrs ago #6
Yes Celerity 17 hrs ago #54
I think orangecrush 23 hrs ago #9
That would makes sense except sarisataka 23 hrs ago #10
What's 300 miles when you think you are king of the world? Wonder Why 3 hrs ago #57
Turns out you are not that far off orangecrush 23 hrs ago #12
Yes, that graphic is very scary MorbidButterflyTat 18 hrs ago #49
JFC!!! electric_blue68 23 hrs ago #5
My reaction exactly orangecrush 23 hrs ago #8
Ridiculous conjecture sarisataka 23 hrs ago #11
Check out post 12 orangecrush 23 hrs ago #13
Kharg Island is at the northern end of the Persian Gulf. sarisataka 22 hrs ago #15
He's not saying Marines are going to Kharg orangecrush 22 hrs ago #19
". It wouldn't be the first time Marines were put in position to be sacrifices" orangecrush 22 hrs ago #24
My mind went to Guadalcanal but this works too Arazi 20 hrs ago #43
... orangecrush 20 hrs ago #44
The bigger the font used in a YouTube video ad the higher probablility of bullshit. WarGamer 22 hrs ago #14
Cappy is far from bullshit. orangecrush 22 hrs ago #16
I don't trust ANY analysis with political spin. WarGamer 22 hrs ago #18
Thanks for the link orangecrush 22 hrs ago #20
EXCELLENT source! orangecrush 22 hrs ago #22
you're welcome! WarGamer 22 hrs ago #32
Outstanding reference orangecrush 21 hrs ago #33
It's funded by Northrop Grumman, Lockheed and Raytheon. BannonsLiver 3 hrs ago #58
I was a contractor for all of those firms in the late 90's orangecrush 2 hrs ago #61
But on Call of Duty, that's not a problem. haele 22 hrs ago #17
This sure as fuck ain't COD orangecrush 22 hrs ago #21
This is not a game. Dan 22 hrs ago #23
That seems to be the consensus orangecrush 22 hrs ago #26
With Israel as a partner, the long range goal in Iran wnylib 22 hrs ago #25
Boots on the ground in a place where they have been planning on this... Hugin 22 hrs ago #27
A USMC MEU is a very formidable force. However, the Iranians are likely dug in as well as the Imperial Japanese were artemisia1 22 hrs ago #28
The commentator did say orangecrush 22 hrs ago #29
Yes. I should clarify that I meant a full division in addition to 5,000 MEU members. Even that won't do it, imho. artemisia1 21 hrs ago #35
Thanks orangecrush 20 hrs ago #38
Apparently there's not a lot of troops on Kharg Island EX500rider 39 min ago #65
Kharg rso 22 hrs ago #30
They already attacked it. LeftInTX 21 hrs ago #34
... orangecrush 20 hrs ago #37
I think he announced that he was gonna do it after it already happened. LeftInTX 20 hrs ago #40
Very likely orangecrush 20 hrs ago #41
I'm not an expert by any stretch but blue-wave 20 hrs ago #36
95% of Iranian oil flies though the island because orangecrush 20 hrs ago #39
OK, but if the strait is blue-wave 20 hrs ago #42
The Iranians from what I'm seeing orangecrush 19 hrs ago #45
And this... orangecrush 19 hrs ago #46
And the MAGAts go wild! UTUSN 19 hrs ago #47
They should be sent 1st orangecrush 10 hrs ago #55
bet they are not enlisting in droves Skittles 3 hrs ago #59
I don't think Kharg is the target for the US... WarGamer 19 hrs ago #48
Is that what the Raytheon funded neoconservative think tank you follow says is going to happen? BannonsLiver 3 hrs ago #60
That looks ridiculous MorbidButterflyTat 18 hrs ago #50
Huge screw-up. GP6971 18 hrs ago #52
I fear for them. It's going to be raining drones. yourout 18 hrs ago #53
Yup orangecrush 10 hrs ago #56
Gee, why not tell Iran in advance? Conjuay 2 hrs ago #62
It's a good thing Iran doesn't read DU! orangecrush 2 hrs ago #63
Wonder what the goal is RoseTrellis 1 hr ago #64

drray23

(8,718 posts)
2. Nonsense. It does not pass the sniff test.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:03 PM
23 hrs ago

Why would we announce ahead of time we are sending our most elite operators to capture an island ?

Hey guys we are coming ! Please don't shoot us, just pretend you did not know..

The whole point of using operators like Delta force is covert ops. If you just want to take an island, you send the regular marines.

Johnny2X2X

(24,107 posts)
31. Trump announced it
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:50 PM
22 hrs ago

He doesn’t care if he kills some troops. He just wants to brag.

ABC123Easy

(245 posts)
4. I think you guys answered your own questions.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:09 PM
23 hrs ago

I'm guessing but 5000 marines can take and hold the island to open the straight.

Delta force to go in and steal the stockpile of uranium using the island as a base? There needs to be a way to get troops into Iran as well so......the island?

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
9. I think
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:16 PM
23 hrs ago

The island is not near the strait.

However, the video does discuss the possibility of ground troops on the Iranian side of the strait to open it up.



orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
12. Turns out you are not that far off
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:36 PM
23 hrs ago

Guess who it looks like is going to secure the Strait?

This is getting uglier by the hour.

?si=dQ1OjjV1bp6fFExf

sarisataka

(22,598 posts)
11. Ridiculous conjecture
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:22 PM
23 hrs ago

Delta Force is neither trained nor equipped to take and hold ground for an extended period.

It would be more within Delta's capability to sabotage to facilities, but it would be much easier and safer to do so via airstrikes.

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
13. Check out post 12
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:48 PM
23 hrs ago

Marine Expeditionary Unit enroute.

Also the commentator leans conservative, but rips into Hegseth saying he has lost all faith in this administration.

Quite interesting as he is a former member of the Marine Expeditionary Unit.

sarisataka

(22,598 posts)
15. Kharg Island is at the northern end of the Persian Gulf.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:54 PM
22 hrs ago

And Amphib Group would have to pass the Strait and travel 300 miles through restricted waters to land on Kharg. Iran would throw everything they had at the ARG.

5k Marines is not enough to hold the coast around the Strait. AT best they could allow some traffic through for a few days, but would need massive reinforcement to keep control of the Strait

ETA> this administration might not care about those factors and do such attacks anyway. It wouldn't be the first time Marines were put in position to be sacrifices.

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
19. He's not saying Marines are going to Kharg
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:02 PM
22 hrs ago


In the Strait, they would be opening the door for Airborne.

At least that's what I'm hearing.

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
24. ". It wouldn't be the first time Marines were put in position to be sacrifices"
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:37 PM
22 hrs ago

"Soldier an' Sailor Too"

Rudyard Kipling

As I was spittin' into the Ditch aboard o' the Crocodile,
I seed a man on a man-o'-war got up in the Reg'lars' style.
'E was scrapin' the paint from off of 'er plates, an' I sez to 'im, "'Oo are you?"
Sez 'e, "I'm a Jolly—'Er Majesty's Jolly—soldier an' sailor too!"
Now 'is work begins by Gawd knows when, and 'is work is never through;
'E isn't one o' the reg'lar Line, nor 'e isn't one of the crew.
'E's a kind of a giddy harumfrodite—soldier an' sailor too!
2
An', after I met 'im all over the world, a-doin' all kinds of things,
Like landin' 'isself with a Gatlin' gun to talk to them 'eathen kings;
'E sleeps in an 'ammick instead of a cot, an' 'e drills with the deck on a slew,
An' 'e sweats like a Jolly—'Er Majesty's Jolly—soldier an' sailor too!
For there isn't a job on the top o' the earth the beggar don't know, nor do—
You can leave 'im at night on a bald man's 'ead, to paddle 'is own canoe—
'E's a sort of a bloomin' cosmopolouse—soldier an' sailor too.
3
We've fought 'em in trooper, we've fought 'em in dock, and drunk with 'em in betweens,
When they called us the seasick scull'ry-maids, an' we called 'em the Ass–Marines;
But, when we was down for a double fatigue, from Woolwich to Bernardmyo,
We sent for the Jollies—'Er Majesty's Jollies—soldier an' sailor too!
They think for 'emselves, an' they steal for 'emselves, and they never ask what's to do,
But they're camped an' fed an' they're up an' fed before our bugle's blew.
Ho! they ain't no limpin' procrastitutes—soldier an' sailor too.
4
You may say we are fond of an 'arness-cut, or 'ootin' in barrick-yards,
Or startin' a Board School mutiny along o' the Onion Guards; (1)
But once in a while we can finish in style for the ends of the earth to view,
The same as the Jollies—'Er Majesty's Jollies—soldier an' sailor too!
They come of our lot, they was brothers to us; they was beggars we'd met an' knew;
Yes, barrin' an inch in the chest an' the arm, they was doubles o' me an' you;
For they weren't no special chrysanthemums—soldier an' sailor too!
5
To take your chance in the thick of a rush, with firing all about,
Is nothing so bad when you've cover to 'and, an' leave an' likin' to shout;
But to stand an' be still to the Birken'ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew,
An' they done it, the Jollies—'Er Majesty's Jollies—soldier an' sailor too!
Their work was done when it 'adn't begun; they was younger nor me an' you;
Their choice it was plain between drownin' in 'eaps an' bein' mopped by the screw,
So they stood an' was still to the Birken'ead drill, (2) soldier an' sailor too!
6
We're most of us liars, we're 'arf of us thieves, an' the rest are as rank as can be,
But once in a while we can finish in style (which I 'ope it won't 'appen to me).
But it makes you think better o' you an' your friends, an' the work you may 'ave to do,
When you think o' the sinkin' Victorier's (3) Jollies—soldier an' sailor too!
Now there isn't no room for to say ye don't know—they 'ave proved it plain and true—
That whether it's Widow, or whether it's ship, Victorier's work is to do,
An' they done it, the Jollies—'Er Majesty's Jollies—soldier an' sailor too!


(1) Long ago, a battalion of the Guards was sent to Bermuda
as a punishment for riotous conduct in barracks.
(2) In 1852 the Birkenhead transport was sunk off Simon's Bay.
The Marines aboard her went down as drawn up on her deck.
(3) Admiral Tryon's flagship, sunk in a collision in 1893.


They always look good doing it.

Total respect

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
16. Cappy is far from bullshit.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:55 PM
22 hrs ago

Check out post #12 as well.

A Marine Expeditionary Unit is en route.

The commenter is a former member of that unit, and says he has lost all faith in this administration, despite his conservative leajings.

He rips Hegseth a new asshole.

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
20. Thanks for the link
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:03 PM
22 hrs ago

And Cappy is not political.

Watch at least part of the vid before judging

WarGamer

(18,552 posts)
32. you're welcome!
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:51 PM
22 hrs ago

True study of war doesn't require mentioning the names Trump, Hegseth or Rubio... because while roots of war may be political the bombs, missiles, aircraft and bullets are not.

I read ISW every day re: Ukraine, they're top notch

BannonsLiver

(20,503 posts)
58. It's funded by Northrop Grumman, Lockheed and Raytheon.
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 03:18 PM
3 hrs ago

And then there’s this:

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/institute-for-the-study-of-war-bias-and-credibility/

It’s a neocon site, but that pov seems to be back en vogue again with some misguided folks who didn’t learn the lesson of Iraq. Given your interlocutor views war as “entertainment” and has admitted to as much on this website I’m not surprised this is their go to source. Explains quite a lot actually.

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
61. I was a contractor for all of those firms in the late 90's
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 04:28 PM
2 hrs ago

Somehow they believed me trustworthy enough to be cleared at a fairly interesting level despite my lifelong public liberal views.

haele

(15,342 posts)
17. But on Call of Duty, that's not a problem.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:56 PM
22 hrs ago

Don't even need cheat codes if you're good enough...

Dan

(5,109 posts)
23. This is not a game.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:36 PM
22 hrs ago

Trump and that idiot in charge of the DOD are stupid beyond belief.

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
26. That seems to be the consensus
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:42 PM
22 hrs ago

.

Of anyone who knows their ass from a hole in the ground.

wnylib

(25,755 posts)
25. With Israel as a partner, the long range goal in Iran
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:41 PM
22 hrs ago

is almost certainly to dismantle all of Iran's nuclear capability. The Trump regime is not being transparent about this for a few reasons. One is security to protect operations. Another is to keep Iran from knowing exactly what US forces are doing and when.

I am not justifying the war or siding with Trump. I am only observing and drawing conclusions from what we see and what we know about the parties involved.

Israel has always felt threatened by Iran's nuclear developments. Iran has aided Israel's terrorist enemies. Iran had an active part in aiding Hamas against Israel. Israel wants Iran's regime destroyed along with Iran's nuclear developments.

Nobody in the world wants to see Iran develop a nuclear weapon, except Iran's leaders.

Trump has personal business interests in the Middle East. He cannot begin to make plans for his resort in Gaza until hostile terrorist elements are neutralized. So he joins Israel in a united attack on Iran. Trump might never see his resort since he is declining so much, but Jared will run the show anyway, so Trump is paving the way for Jared to proceed with what Trump believes will be his personal lasting legacy in the region.

Sending Marines is the first step in ground operations with the intent to dismantle Iran's nuclear facilities. That is the long range goal. That means that, although Hegseth sounds like an idiot spouting word salads because he IS an idiot, somebody with the ability to make plans and see them carried out is working behind the scenes. Hegseth is just too stupid to understand the big picture or just incapable of putting it into coherent words. That no doubt suits Trump and Netanyahu who want to proceed without informing their own people or the world what they are doing.

There is a plan. They just are not revealing it openly. My guess for who develops the plans and sees that they are carried out is someone in the Israeli defense department who coordinates with US military leaders.

If Israel and the US succeed in completely dismantling Iran's nuclear capabilities and its theocratic dictatorship, they will be viewed as world saviors despite how despicable Netanyahu and Trump are in other aspects of their lives. There is also reason for concern regarding HOW they proceed. Given who they are, I expect to see some war atrocities committed during the process of the war.




























Hugin

(37,810 posts)
27. Boots on the ground in a place where they have been planning on this...
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:42 PM
22 hrs ago

For forty years.

I am glad I am retired.

artemisia1

(1,826 posts)
28. A USMC MEU is a very formidable force. However, the Iranians are likely dug in as well as the Imperial Japanese were
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:42 PM
22 hrs ago

on Iwo Jima and, imho, anything less than a full division is far too little. Tier 1 units may go in first to soften up attack positions, but as pointed out, they are not equipped to hold ground.

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
29. The commentator did say
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:46 PM
22 hrs ago

They might be used to go in to open the door for a larger force, among many other possibilities.

artemisia1

(1,826 posts)
35. Yes. I should clarify that I meant a full division in addition to 5,000 MEU members. Even that won't do it, imho.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 09:45 PM
21 hrs ago

EX500rider

(12,510 posts)
65. Apparently there's not a lot of troops on Kharg Island
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 06:12 PM
39 min ago

But it looks more like a job for the Rangers and 82nd Airborne than Delta.

Maybe Delta jumps in the night before to take out air defenses for a Helo insertion of troops?

Since 90% of Iran's oil goes out of there it certainly would leave them in a bind.

rso

(2,663 posts)
30. Kharg
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:49 PM
22 hrs ago

Our most effective direct-action commando force which is large enough and equipped-enough to hold Kharg for a limited time is the 75th. Ranger Regiment, the author of the video does not really know what he’s talking about.

blue-wave

(4,946 posts)
36. I'm not an expert by any stretch but
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 09:54 PM
20 hrs ago

the island he talks about in the video is, depending on the route taken, 460-500 miles from the actual Strait of Hormuz. Doesn't make sense to me. If you want to open the strait you should somehow secure something closer.

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
39. 95% of Iranian oil flies though the island because
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 10:05 PM
20 hrs ago

Iran's coastal ports waters aren't deep enough for the supertankers.

By hitting the island you strangle the economy.

The Strait is a separate thing.

blue-wave

(4,946 posts)
42. OK, but if the strait is
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 10:10 PM
20 hrs ago

shut down, nothing is moving through it. Therefore the revenue stream for Iran through Kharg Island is zero.

orangecrush

(30,025 posts)
45. The Iranians from what I'm seeing
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 10:53 PM
19 hrs ago

Are moving their own ships through.

Dont ask me how that's possible.

I'm certainly not an expert either


WarGamer

(18,552 posts)
48. I don't think Kharg is the target for the US...
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 11:23 PM
19 hrs ago

They'd have to bring forces past the strait... in reality they are probably bringing the USS Tripoli battle group is going to take JASK not KHARG.

Iran has spent over $200M in recent years for this very purpose, a second oil export port in case of war.

It's also a major military base and hub.

Take JASK and Iran exports no oil. Especially with Kharg shut down.

BannonsLiver

(20,503 posts)
60. Is that what the Raytheon funded neoconservative think tank you follow says is going to happen?
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 03:25 PM
3 hrs ago

MorbidButterflyTat

(4,432 posts)
50. That looks ridiculous
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 12:08 AM
18 hrs ago

Who is that dork with the fake solemn expression and khaki colored T-shirt? Why should anyone believe him?

Those helicopters are bigger than the island. Cute flag circles so we all know they're American.

Probably there's no one there to stop them or maybe greet them since everyone now knows they're on their way.

RoseTrellis

(162 posts)
64. Wonder what the goal is
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 05:25 PM
1 hr ago

Kharg is relatively small, and I wonder if Iran ever considered it might be taken by the US. Ospreys should be able to land an invasion force, and marine combat engineers would be able to open the one runway that’s there to land C-130s and possibly C-17s.
It’s far enough off the mainland (16 miles) that defending against an Iranian counter attack should be easy, especially since most of their navy is sunk.
They don’t have any precision targeting ability to shoot missiles at it, and doing so would risk damaging their own infrastructure.

Sure are strange times we are living in.

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