Former Army lieutenant general Keith Kellogg thinks all the US need do to turn the tide in Iran is take Kharg Island. "We don't necessarily have to send troops into Iran, but we need to capture Kharg Island. We need to do it the way the Romans did. We need to put legions on the ground to secure the territory," he said.

The Roman legions didn't face Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. Iran will undoubtedly send a legion of drones, missiles, and rockets against any attempt to occupy Kharg, Qeshm, Kish, Hormuz, or the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands.

According to retired US army lieutenant colonel Earl Rasmussen, a ground invasion of Iran would be a months-long nightmare. If the US sends troops to Iran, including Kharg island, they will suffer heavy losses, potentially expanding the conflict for months or even years. "This implies sending troops there either through the Strait of Hormuz or landing on the other side of the Persian Gulf—from Saudi Arabia. Both would be extremely difficult," he explained.