US-Iran WarMilitary planners at the Pentagon have been developing options for weeks of ground operations inside Iran, including possible airstrikes by special operations forces and conventional infantry, though senior administration officials insist no final decision has been made, according to several U.S. officials who spoke to The Washington Post.
Ground oeration in Iran plans, which have been in development for several weeks, will stop well short of an all-out invasion. They envision targeted invasions designed to neutralize Iran’s military capabilities, with a particular focus on coastal infrastructure threatening commercial and military shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the WaPo report added.
Kharg Island, coastal military sites among the targets being considered
Among the scenarios being actively discussed is the potential occupation of Kharg Island, Iran’s most strategically important oil export center in the Persian Gulf. Officials also examined airstrikes on Iranian coastal military installations near the Strait of Hormuz – a vital global oil shipping corridor that is increasingly under threat.
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One official told The Washington Post that it would likely take “weeks, not months” to meet the goals being considered, while another put the potential timeline at “a few months.”
Responding to questions about military preparations, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “The Pentagon’s job is to make preparations to give the commander in chief maximum choice. It doesn’t mean the president has made a decision.”
Trump says no troops deployed; Rubio rules out a long-term conflict
Speaking in the Oval Office on March 20, President Donald Trump dismissed the prospect of a ground deployment: “I’m not deploying troops anywhere. If I was, I certainly wouldn’t tell you, but I’m not deploying troops.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in France after a gathering of US allies concerned about the war’s mounting economic toll, similarly sought to downplay the prospect of a protracted campaign. “It’s not going to be a long-term conflict,” Rubio told reporters, adding that the United States “can achieve all of our goals without ground troops.”
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In recent days, the administration has alternated between signaling a desire for negotiations and issuing strong warnings to Tehran. Leavitt warned on Tuesday that if Iran does not abandon its nuclear ambitions and stop threatening the US and its allies, Trump is “ready to unleash hell on them.”
13 US soldiers killed, hundreds injured in Iranian retaliatory attacks
The human cost of the conflict has already proven to be considerable. In the past month, 13 U.S. service members have been killed in action — six in a plane crash in Iraq, six in a drone attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait, and one in an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
More than 300 military personnel have been injured in Iranian drone and missile strikes targeting US facilities in at least seven countries in the region, with at least ten seriously injured.
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The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, comprising approximately 2,200 sailors and Marines, has been ordered to the region in recent weeks. The unit has the capability to conduct the type of airstrikes contemplated, although analysts note that it faces logistical constraints in operating continuously without resupply.
Military analysts warn of significant risks in any seizure of the Iranian island
Defense analysts have warned that while the occupation of territory such as Kharg Island is operationally feasible, it carries significant risks.
Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former Army officer, told The Washington Post, “I just wouldn’t want to be in such a small place with Iran’s ability to shoot down drones and possibly artillery,” suggesting that mining the waters around the island and using it as a pressure point could be a less expensive alternative.
He argued that more targeted coastal raids could offer a better risk-reward ratio. “I think it’s better not to have troops stationed in any one place for an extended period of time,” Eisenstadt said. “Agility is part of protecting your forces as they move and raid in and out.”
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A former senior defense official told The Washington Post that planning for a ground campaign in Iran is far from impromptu. “We were looking at it. It was warlike,” the official said. “This is not last minute planning.
The same official acknowledged that the harder challenge comes after each seizure: “You have to provide shelter for the people on Kharg Island. That’s a difficult task. It’s not difficult to seize it. Protect your guys once they’re there.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite paramilitary force that controls much of the country’s military infrastructure, is expected to put up a determined resistance and could use Kharg Island’s oil facilities as cover during any defensive operation.
Public opposition to ground troops is high – Congress divided
Domestic political support for the deployment of ground troops remains limited. A poll conducted jointly by the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found that 62 percent of respondents strongly oppose the use of ground troops in Iran, with only 12 percent in favor. Opinions on airstrikes against Iranian military targets are more evenly split, with 39 percent against and 33 percent in favor.
The prospect also revealed divisions within Trump’s own Republican Party. Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, a retired Navy SEAL and staunch supporter of the president, told WaPo: “The answer is no. We can achieve the strategic goals that Donald Trump wants to achieve without doing that.”
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Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said on social media after a House Armed Services Committee briefing: “I will not support troops on the ground in Iran.”
In contrast, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina specifically called for the occupation of Kharg Island, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle after invoking the World War II battle of Iwo Jima — which killed approximately 6,800 American soldiers. “We did Iwo Jima, we can do it,” Graham said in an interview with Fox News. “My money is always on the Marines.
Key things
- The Pentagon is considering limited ground operations in Iran, not a full-scale invasion.
- Domestic support for the deployment of ground troops remains low, with considerable public opposition.
- Military analysts warn of the risks associated with occupying Iranian territory and suggest that alternative strategies may be more effective.
