Ex-CENTCOM chief floats seizing Iran's Kharg Island as leverage as Trump expands US strikes

WASHINGTON, DC: Retired General Frank McKenzie, the former commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said on Sunday, July 12, that Washington should consider seizing Iran's Kharg Island, the country's primary oil export terminal, as leverage in future negotiations with Tehran.

Speaking during an interview with CBS News, McKenzie argued that directly pressuring Iran's economic lifeline could influence future talks. Hours later, US forces launched a fourth round of strikes against Iranian military targets, extending a week of military exchanges following attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ex-CENTCOM chief says Kharg Island could become leverage in Iran talks

McKenzie said the United States possesses the military capability to seize Kharg Island if directed by President Donald Trump. 

"That's something we should think about doing because possession of Iranian soil would be a significant factor in future negotiations with Iran," McKenzie said.

He argued that any strategy aimed at changing Tehran's behavior must directly pressure the Iranian leadership.

"It would require putting warships up into narrow waters," he said. "The US Navy doesn't love to do that, but they're very good at it, and if necessary, they can do it, and they can do it well."

McKenzie added, "You got to go back to the basic principle of Iranian statecraft, which is regime preservation. If you want to gain concessions from Iran, you have to directly pressure the regime, and you have to do so in a way that perhaps is existential to them. We have those capabilities should the president choose to go that way."

Located off Iran's southern coast, Kharg Island handles the vast majority of the country's crude oil exports, making it one of Tehran's most strategically important economic assets and a critical source of government revenue.

McKenzie's proposal also echoed a recent warning made by Trump. While discussing Iran during the NATO summit in Turkiye, Trump again raised the possibility, saying, "maybe we'll take over Kharg island."

US expands strikes on Iran after McKenzie's proposal

Hours after McKenzie's remarks, CENTCOM announced a fourth round of military strikes against Iran in less than a week.

CENTCOM said the strikes began under orders from President Trump "to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

According to the military, the operation targeted Iranian air defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats allegedly used in attacks on commercial shipping. CENTCOM said the strikes were intended to further reduce Iran's ability to threaten maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran also claimed it carried out retaliatory attacks against US military infrastructure in the Gulf. Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck facilities at Kuwait's Ali Al Salem Air Base and Ahmad Al Jaber Air Base, alleging damage to fuel storage tanks, Patriot air defense systems, and radar installations.