US preparing 'final blow' options for Iran if talks fail — four plans including island seizures and HEU capture

Axios reported on 26 March 2026, citing two US officials and two sources with knowledge, that the US is working on options for a 'final blow' to Iran that could include American ground troops on Iranian soil and a major bombing campaign. The options would be triggered if attempts to initiate high-level negotiations fail and Iran continues to threaten Hormuz shipping. Four specific military options are under discussion: 1. Seize or blockade Kharg Island — handles ~90% of Iran's crude oil exports. 2. Take Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, which hosts Iranian military bases and radar systems that track transiting ships, plus small attack boats capable of striking civilian vessels. 3. Invade Abu Musa Island in the eastern Persian Gulf, which gives Iran control over ships exiting the Gulf. The island — along with the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands nearby — is Iranian-held but claimed by the United Arab Emirates. 4. Block or take control of ships exporting Iranian oil. Additionally, plans are under consideration to seize Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, believed to be stored under ruined nuclear facilities deep inside Iran. The alternative is to bomb those sites from the air to ensure Iran cannot access the material. Trump has not decided on any of the plans, the sources tell Axios. The planning context is a US-Iran negotiating track based on a 15-point US ceasefire proposal; if Iran does not engage seriously, the 'final blow' options would be activated. Trump told Truth Social the same morning that Iran must 'get serious soon' or face consequences with 'NO TURNING BACK.'