Tom Bowman

minesweepers and also destroyers to do that job.

Now we have this 31st Marine Extraordinary Unit out of Okinawa, 2,200 Marines heading to the Middle East.

Now, of course, no one is talking about what the mission is.

It could be, you know, helping evacuate embassies, humanitarian mission, or boarding ships.

But again, it could be what they've talked about for decades, seizing some Iranian territory, and that could be this Karag Island.

NPR's Tom Bowman reporting.

I expect Japan to step up because, you know, we have that kind of relationship and we step up for Japan.

As you know, we attacked Khark Island and knocked it, knocked it, literally destroyed everything on the island except for the area where

The oil is, I call it the pipes.

Hey, Steve.

Well, Steve, first of all, you know, Trump has talked about seizing the island back in the late 1980s when he was plugging one of his books.

And so has the military, especially the Marines, for decades.

Now, you either seize a karg island or several sites on the mainland for a foothold, including a place called Bandar Abbas.

And I'm told you could see even more Marines heading to the Middle East for that job as well.

And Steve, I remember having lunch with a senior officer.

It was like a decade ago.

when talk turned to Iran and a possible war.

And this guy was saying, well, first of all, we would take some of their islands.

And his aide said, sir, we're heading into classified territory.

Let's talk about something else.