Gate News reports that on March 14, Mark Cancian, defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former Marine Corps colonel, stated that with a Marine Expeditionary Force deployed to the Middle East, the Trump administration now has the option to attempt to seize Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub. Cancian pointed out that these are the first ground combat forces heading to the region, and the United States may have the capability to occupy the island and then declare the operation concluded. However, Cancian also believes that such operations could present significant logistical challenges, as Kharg Island is located at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf, and Iran possesses an arsenal of weapons including coastal cruise missiles, drones, and armed speedboats that could pose threats to U.S. forces.