Meanwhile, the Pentagon is reported to be developing options for a “final blow” in Iran that could include the use of ground forces and a massive bombing campaign. “A dramatic military escalation will grow more likely if no progress is made in diplomatic talks and, in particular, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed,” Axios [https://www.axios.com/2026/03/26/iran-invasion-plans-kharg-island-trump] reported on March 26. “Some U.S. officials think a crushing show of force to conclude the fighting would create more leverage in peace talks or simply give Trump something to point to and declare victory.”
Axios noted that “Iran also has a say in how the war ends, and many of the scenarios under discussion would risk prolonging and intensifying the fight rather than bringing it to a dramatic conclusion” (something that beastman Hegseth refuses to acknowledge—cjo).
In interviews with Axios, officials and sources familiar with the internal discussions describe four major “final blow” options that U.S. President Donald Trump could choose from:
• Invading or blockading Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.
• Invading Larak, an island that helps Iran solidify its control of the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic outpost hosts Iranian bunkers, attack craft that can blow up cargo ships and radars that monitor movements in the Strait.
• Seizing the strategic island of Abu Musa and two smaller islands, which lie near the western entrance to the Strait and are controlled by Iran, but also claimed by the U.A.E.
