WASHINGTON — The United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East as part of an effort to send a message to Iran and provide military and civilian leaders with options to develop courses of action, retired General Joseph Votel said in a March 30 interview in Washington.

Votel, who led U.S. Central Command from 2016 to 2019, outlined potential operations that could include securing Iran's Kharg Island oil export facility and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping.

The military buildup comes as the U.S. observes a 10-day pause in military action following President Donald Trump's threat to strike Iran's energy infrastructure. During the pause, Iran has allowed ships to continue passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

He described three objectives that the increased U.S. force posture could be used to pursue. The first is to reduce Iran's ability to threaten its neighbors. The second is to reduce Iran's military capabilities — including its missiles, drones, and naval forces — so they cannot be effectively employed beyond its borders. The third objective is to prevent Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon by destroying relevant infrastructure and placing its highly enriched uranium under responsible control.

Among the potential operations he discussed was securing Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export facility. Such an operation would require deploying and sustaining U.S. Marines or Army forces on the island. Control of the facility could serve as a bargaining chip with the Iranian regime, he said.

Preventing Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz is a goal of U.S. strategy in the region. Without a political settlement, reopening the strait would require a prolonged military presence, he said. He added that coalition and international partners would be critical to sustaining a long-term force posture in the area.

He said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership heavily influences the Iranian government, indicating that hard-liners remain associated with the regime's power structure. He said he hopes for a pragmatic leader within the Iranian government to help stop the fighting, and that some form of the current Iranian regime would likely remain in place after any settlement is reached.