As Trump eyes a ground offensive in Iran's Kharg Island to force it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a lesson learnt by Britain 100 years back should not be overlooked. In 1915-16, Britain undertook an operation, known as the Battle of Gallipoli, to control a key waterway and knock out the Ottoman Empire. It failed miserably and suffered 2,50,000 casualties.
Kharg, a small island off the coast of Iran, has emerged as Donald Trump's key target for a ground invasion.
The plan is simple seize the island by deploying forces, choke Iran's oil lifeline, and knock Tehran out of the war. Around 100 years ago, the mighty British attempted a similar operation to capture the Dardanelles Strait and weaken the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
But it turned out to be Britain's biggest mistake. The campaign, known as the Battle of Gallipoli, left tens of thousands dead, and Britain had to make a humiliating withdrawal.
In 1915, Winston Churchill, who later went on to become the UK's prime minister, and his generals saw the Ottomans as weak and outdated. That assumption proved fatal
A similar situation may unfold if Trump decides to put boots on the ground in Iran's Kharg or near Hormuz today. Around 2,200 Marines aboard the amphibious assault warship, USS Tripoli, is likely to reach the Middle East on March 28.
The terrain at Gallipoli turned Britain's operation into a disaster. Iran possesses similar steep elevations in the mountains that surround its entire coast. Thus, once US troops hit the shores, they could be seen, tracked, and targeted.
The 1915 campaign turned out to be a lesson for an overconfident Britain.
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