Why US dey eye Iran Kharg Island?

US President Donald Trump don warn of possible further American action against one small island off di coast of Iran - na home to one major oil terminal wey be di kontri economic lifeline.

For one interview wit Financial Times on Sunday, Trump tok say e wan take Iran oil and e dey consider to seize Kharg Island. But e add say " di operation go mean say dem go need dey for Kharg Island for some time".

On 13 March, Trump tok say US forces don 'totally obliterate' evri military target for di island, but di US military no dey target di oil infrastructure.

Earlier dis month, US news outlet Axios, quote four sources wey sabi di issue - dem tok say di administration dey consider plans to occupy or block di island to pressure Iran make dem reopen di Strait of Hormuz - one of di world most important shipping channels, wey dey south of Iran coast.

US go try to seize di island?

Rumurs don dey for some time say US forces go try take ova Kharg Island.

If dem seize am, e no go only block Iran oil exports, e go also serve as platform to carry out attack against di mainland.

For one interview wit Financial Times, Trump tok say: "Maybe we go take Kharg Island, maybe we no do am. We get a lot of options."

E add say: "E go also mean say we dey go there [for Kharg Island] for some time... I no tink say dem get any defence. We fit take am easily."

Sources tell BBC's US partner CBS News say Pentagon officials don make detail preparation to send ground forces to Iran.

Rumour also carry am say, US Central Command on Saturday, send extra 3,500 US sailors and marines wey land for Middle East as part of unit wey USS Tripoli warship dey lead.

Both Pentagon and di White House no gree to offer comments about di specific troop deployments or wetin dem dey plan - but dem don make am clear say di option dey available.

If dem take di island, e go cut IRGC economy lifeline, dis go affect dia ability to conduct war, security analyst Mikey Kay from BBC's Security Brief tok.

Aaron Maclean, host of di School of War podcast and CBS national security analyst, tok say di US dey tink say dem fit seize di island and "use am as leverage" to make Iranians keep di strait open.

According to Maclean, any US operation to seize di island go dey small in size, but e go dey challenging.

US landing force go need move long distance, either through di naval vessels or as part of airborne landing force.

Iran parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warn say di kontri forces dey "wait for American soldiers" and dem go "rain fire" on any US troops wey try enta Iran territory.

Previously, one Iranian military official tell local media say shipping for Red Sea go dey targetted if ground invasion happun.

Iran don reinforce dia defences for Kharg Island in recent weeks due to di threat, including adding more military personnel and air defences, sources tell CNN.

Tehran don send more shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles to di island and don set traps including anti-personnel and anti-armour mines for di waters wey dey surround am, di website report, citing "multiple pipo wey dey familiar wit US intelligence."

Why Kharg Island dey important to Iran?

Kharg Island na small rocky outcrop just 15 nautical miles (24km) off di coast of Iran.

Despite di size, na one of di most critical pieces of Iran energy infrastructure.

Di US striking dis small but vital island for northern Gulf be like say make dem dey go for Iran economic jugular vein.

Ninety percent of Iran crude oil dey come through one terminal wey dey for di island - dem dey transport am through pipes from di mainland.

Trump don specifically tok say dem fit target dis pipelines, but e tok say e don hold back to avoid long-term economic damage to Iran economy.

"We fit do am within five minutes no. E go ova ," Trump tok on 16 March. "Just one simple word, and di pipes go vanish too. But e go take time to rebuild dat."

Very big tankers - wey fit carry up to 85 million gallons of oil - fit reach di island long jetties to pick di oil.

Di coast of di island dey close enouf to deep water, unlike di coast of di mainland wey dey shallow.

Di tankers go den come back down di Gulf and out of di Strait of Hormuz, to China - di main buyer of Iranian oil.

Dis island, wey get terminal for di export of Iranian oil, dey provide major source of revenue for di Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Wetin di US and Iran tok say about di 13 March attack?

Trump tok on 13 March say di US Central Command (Centcom) don "execute one of di most powerful bombing raids for di history of di Middle East and fully destroy every MILITARY target for Iran crown jewel, Kharg Island".

E add say "for reasons of decency" e don "choose say e NO GO wipe out di oil infrastructure for di Island".

Centcom tok say US forces don hit "more dan 90 Iranian military targets for Kharg Island, while dem dey preserve di oil infrastructure".

Di regional military command unit tok say dem don destroy naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers and plenty oda military sites.

Iranian state media report say no damage happun to di island oil facilities. Di semi-official Fars news agency tok say US attack target air defences, naval base, airport control tower and helicopter hangar.

Ehsan Jahanian, political deputy to di governor of Bushehr province for southern Iran, tok say di process of exporting oil from Kharg dey "fully under way" and "continue without interruption", according to report by IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency.

Afta di strikes, di kontri military warn say any oil and energy infrastructure wey belong to companies wey dey work wit di US go "immediately dey destroyed and turn to ashes" if dem attack di energy facilities.

Why di US no target di island oil facilities?

Military action to damage di island infrastructure go destory tins for Iran.

E go also make di conflict escalate.

E fit make oil prices go up even higher and e fit make Iran target more energy infrastructure across di Middle East.

One month don pass into di war, Iran still get di capacity to release large number of low-cost, high-explosive drones for dia Gulf Arab neighbors and shipping vessels.

E fit even expand dia target to include vital infrastructure like desalination plants wey dey provide drinking water for millions.