In the wake of Houthi militants disrupting the Red Sea entrance to the Suez Canal in late 2023, a US-led coalition under Operation Prosperity Guardian marshalled an international maritime force, including the UK and France, to provide security and maintain open traffic for the Red Sea approaches to the Suez Canal. Once in place, it has been effective in eliminating the Houthi attacks. While the canal itself is operated by the Egyptian Suez Canal Authority (SCA), the international forces ensure that maritime traffic continues unabated.
That is a model that should be used in current negotiations with Iran to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to essential oil tanker traffic. The international strategic control of Qeshm Island could ensure free access to the critical waterway through which 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes.
Currently, Qeshm Island is recognized as part of Iran and is under the jurisdiction of Iran's Hormozgan Province. The 1,445 sq km island has been called the “Cork of the Strait” because it lies in the narrowest part of the waterway. The island’s position allows it to act as a choke point for the Persian Gulf.
Since the start of the current attacks on Iran, US-led forces have actively considered seizing control of Qeshm Island and other nearby islands to ensure the freedom of navigation. Unless President Trump negotiates a takeover of the island, either U.S. marines or Israeli forces would be needed to take the extensive IRGC underground "missile cities" and tunnels on the island.
U.S. airstrikes have previously targeted infrastructure on the island, including desalination plants and naval facilities. It has weakened Iran’s hold on the waterway and destroyed their mine-laying capabilities. But forcefully occupying the island would require a significant, potentially "bloody" ground operation by allied forces, as it is heavily fortified.
The fact is that negotiations with Iran have always been disappointing. Now, the legitimacy of any leader agreeing to a negotiated settlement could be considered even more questionable due to the loss of many key regime leaders. As a result, taking control of Qeshm Island should be required and the takeover consummated before any proposed peace accord should be finalized. If that can be accomplished, a multi-national force could be housed on the island to manage the maritime resources needed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
President Donald Trump has been under pressure to renounce the use of ground forces. He promised that if elected, he would not involve America in a protracted war. With Epic Fury and Israel’s help, Trump has destroyed most of Iran’s offensive weapons and killed most of their top leaders. But with what resources Iran still has and could recreate, many of their current leaders have promised to fight until America experiences their revenge for current attacks.
President Trump has promised a short war, but that should not stop him from finishing the job. This is a regime that has amassed dangerous offensive weapons and the ability to deliver them far beyond the Middle East. Hopefully, Israel and the U.S. have not ruled out the use of ground forces if it is needed to complete the mission of stopping them from developing nuclear weapons.
Iran needs new leadership committed to freedom and security for their people. But the world has its own needs. That would require a defanged Iran, free of nuclear weapons and with regime change that stops funding global terrorism. As a start, taking Qeshm Island by negotiation or force should be a critical objective that needs to be included for lasting peace to be maintained and for critical oil resources to flow freely now and in the future. May it be so.