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Delta Force Prepares to Capture Iran's Kharg Island - 95% of Iranian Oil Goes Through (Original Post) orangecrush Mar 13 OP
They'll be sitting ducks on that island. RandySF Mar 13 #1
Exactly it seemed like that would be an insane move oldmanlynn Mar 14 #51
Nonsense. It does not pass the sniff test. drray23 Mar 13 #2
Trump announced it Johnny2X2X Mar 13 #31
LOL Prairie Gates Mar 13 #3
We'll see. orangecrush Mar 13 #7
I think you guys answered your own questions. ABC123Easy Mar 13 #4
Kharg is far from Hormuz. JCMach1 Mar 13 #6
Yes Celerity Mar 14 #54
I think orangecrush Mar 13 #9
That would makes sense except sarisataka Mar 13 #10
What's 300 miles when you think you are king of the world? Wonder Why Mar 14 #57
Turns out you are not that far off orangecrush Mar 13 #12
Yes, that graphic is very scary MorbidButterflyTat Mar 13 #49
JFC!!! electric_blue68 Mar 13 #5
My reaction exactly orangecrush Mar 13 #8
Ridiculous conjecture sarisataka Mar 13 #11
Check out post 12 orangecrush Mar 13 #13
Kharg Island is at the northern end of the Persian Gulf. sarisataka Mar 13 #15
He's not saying Marines are going to Kharg orangecrush Mar 13 #19
". It wouldn't be the first time Marines were put in position to be sacrifices" orangecrush Mar 13 #24
My mind went to Guadalcanal but this works too Arazi Mar 13 #43
... orangecrush Mar 13 #44
The bigger the font used in a YouTube video ad the higher probablility of bullshit. WarGamer Mar 13 #14
Cappy is far from bullshit. orangecrush Mar 13 #16
I don't trust ANY analysis with political spin. WarGamer Mar 13 #18
Thanks for the link orangecrush Mar 13 #20
EXCELLENT source! orangecrush Mar 13 #22
you're welcome! WarGamer Mar 13 #32
Outstanding reference orangecrush Mar 13 #33
It's funded by Northrop Grumman, Lockheed and Raytheon. BannonsLiver Mar 14 #58
I was a contractor for all of those firms in the late 90's orangecrush Mar 14 #61
But on Call of Duty, that's not a problem. haele Mar 13 #17
This sure as fuck ain't COD orangecrush Mar 13 #21
This is not a game. Dan Mar 13 #23
That seems to be the consensus orangecrush Mar 13 #26
With Israel as a partner, the long range goal in Iran wnylib Mar 13 #25
Boots on the ground in a place where they have been planning on this... Hugin Mar 13 #27
A USMC MEU is a very formidable force. However, the Iranians are likely dug in as well as the Imperial Japanese were artemisia1 Mar 13 #28
The commentator did say orangecrush Mar 13 #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 Mar 13 #35
Thanks orangecrush Mar 13 #38
Apparently there's not a lot of troops on Kharg Island EX500rider Mar 14 #65
Kharg rso Mar 13 #30
They already attacked it. LeftInTX Mar 13 #34
... orangecrush Mar 13 #37
I think he announced that he was gonna do it after it already happened. LeftInTX Mar 13 #40
Very likely orangecrush Mar 13 #41
I'm not an expert by any stretch but blue-wave Mar 13 #36
95% of Iranian oil flies though the island because orangecrush Mar 13 #39
OK, but if the strait is blue-wave Mar 13 #42
The Iranians from what I'm seeing orangecrush Mar 13 #45
And this... orangecrush Mar 13 #46
And the MAGAts go wild! UTUSN Mar 13 #47
They should be sent 1st orangecrush Mar 14 #55
bet they are not enlisting in droves Skittles Mar 14 #59
I don't think Kharg is the target for the US... WarGamer Mar 13 #48
Is that what the Raytheon funded neoconservative think tank you follow says is going to happen? BannonsLiver Mar 14 #60
That looks ridiculous MorbidButterflyTat Mar 14 #50
Huge screw-up. GP6971 Mar 14 #52
I fear for them. It's going to be raining drones. yourout Mar 14 #53
Yup orangecrush Mar 14 #56
Gee, why not tell Iran in advance? Conjuay Mar 14 #62
It's a good thing Iran doesn't read DU! orangecrush Mar 14 #63
Wonder what the goal is RoseTrellis Mar 14 #64
Sure enough orangecrush Mar 14 #66
Psssst. usonian Mar 15 #67
Truth orangecrush Mar 16 #68
... orangecrush Mar 16 #69

drray23

(8,792 posts)
2. Nonsense. It does not pass the sniff test.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:03 PM
Mar 13

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.

ABC123Easy

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

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

(30,378 posts)
9. I think
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:16 PM
Mar 13

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

(30,378 posts)
12. Turns out you are not that far off
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:36 PM
Mar 13

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

This is getting uglier by the hour.

?si=dQ1OjjV1bp6fFExf

sarisataka

(22,696 posts)
11. Ridiculous conjecture
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:22 PM
Mar 13

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

(30,378 posts)
13. Check out post 12
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:48 PM
Mar 13

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

(22,696 posts)
15. Kharg Island is at the northern end of the Persian Gulf.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:54 PM
Mar 13

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

(30,378 posts)
19. He's not saying Marines are going to Kharg
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:02 PM
Mar 13


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

At least that's what I'm hearing.

orangecrush

(30,378 posts)
24. ". It wouldn't be the first time Marines were put in position to be sacrifices"
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:37 PM
Mar 13

"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

(30,378 posts)
16. Cappy is far from bullshit.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:55 PM
Mar 13

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

(30,378 posts)
20. Thanks for the link
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:03 PM
Mar 13

And Cappy is not political.

Watch at least part of the vid before judging

WarGamer

(18,628 posts)
32. you're welcome!
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:51 PM
Mar 13

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

(20,609 posts)
58. It's funded by Northrop Grumman, Lockheed and Raytheon.
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 03:18 PM
Mar 14

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

(30,378 posts)
61. I was a contractor for all of those firms in the late 90's
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 04:28 PM
Mar 14

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

haele

(15,412 posts)
17. But on Call of Duty, that's not a problem.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:56 PM
Mar 13

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

orangecrush

(30,378 posts)
26. That seems to be the consensus
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:42 PM
Mar 13

.

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

wnylib

(26,067 posts)
25. With Israel as a partner, the long range goal in Iran
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:41 PM
Mar 13

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

(37,849 posts)
27. Boots on the ground in a place where they have been planning on this...
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:42 PM
Mar 13

For forty years.

I am glad I am retired.

artemisia1

(1,868 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
Mar 13

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

(30,378 posts)
29. The commentator did say
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:46 PM
Mar 13

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

artemisia1

(1,868 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
Mar 13

EX500rider

(12,592 posts)
65. Apparently there's not a lot of troops on Kharg Island
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 06:12 PM
Mar 14

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

(2,673 posts)
30. Kharg
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 08:49 PM
Mar 13

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

(5,174 posts)
36. I'm not an expert by any stretch but
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 09:54 PM
Mar 13

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

(30,378 posts)
39. 95% of Iranian oil flies though the island because
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 10:05 PM
Mar 13

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

(5,174 posts)
42. OK, but if the strait is
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 10:10 PM
Mar 13

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

orangecrush

(30,378 posts)
45. The Iranians from what I'm seeing
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 10:53 PM
Mar 13

Are moving their own ships through.

Dont ask me how that's possible.

I'm certainly not an expert either


WarGamer

(18,628 posts)
48. I don't think Kharg is the target for the US...
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 11:23 PM
Mar 13

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

(20,609 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
Mar 14

MorbidButterflyTat

(4,529 posts)
50. That looks ridiculous
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 12:08 AM
Mar 14

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

(165 posts)
64. Wonder what the goal is
Sat Mar 14, 2026, 05:25 PM
Mar 14

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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