As the US-Iran conflict enters its second week, speculation is rife that Donald Trump’s administration could soon send ground troops to the Middle East. The US Department of Defense abruptly canceled a major exercise by the elite 82nd Airborne Division headquarters at Fort Liberty, The Washington Post reported.
82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd Airborne Division includes a brigade combat team of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers capable of deploying within 6 hours. Its missions include occupying airports and other critical infrastructure, strengthening US embassies and enabling emergency evacuations.
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The report added that while no deployment orders had been issued Friday, officials said the Army is expected to soon announce the previously planned deployment of a helicopter unit to the Middle East with the 82nd.
Operation Epic Fury
The US and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on February 28. In the opening hours of Operation Epic Fury, the US and Israel succeeded in eliminating the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with some of his family members and top Iranian government and IRGC officials.
Ayatollah removed, regime survives
In the following days, the US continued to pound Iran with airstrikes, causing significant damage to its arsenal and naval fleet. But despite the initial shock of Khamenei’s killing, the regime survived and the IRGC vowed to continue fighting and damaging US interests in the region.
Read also | US laser weapons target Iranian missile systems in Operation Epic Fury — Report
Can US forces regime change without boots on the ground?
Although Trump has insisted that nothing short of an unconditional surrender by Iran will end US attacks, many have pointed out that regime change may not be possible without the US putting its boots on the ground.
Trump one to deploy US troops in Iran
Trump is a long-time critic of the US’s perpetual wars and has repeatedly stated that he will not put American boots on the ground in global conflicts.
But in recent days, Trump appears to have changed his stance, recently telling the New York Post that he does not rule out the use of ground troops in Iran.
“I don’t have boots on the ground,” he said.
On Saturday, NBC News reported that Trump had privately expressed serious interest in deploying US troops on the ground in Iran.
Trump discussed the idea of deploying ground troops with aides and Republican officials outside the White House, a source told NBC News.
What will the US deployment look like in Iran?
However, the ground troops deployed will not be large, two people familiar with the discussions said.
Instead, Trump is looking at deploying a small contingent of US troops that would be used for specific strategic purposes.
Six American soldiers were killed in the first week of the war, and the deployment of ground troops could risk the lives of more American troops in a key midterm election year.
Can the US rely on a Kurdish group for ground operations?
There are also reports that US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, are working with Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish militant groups to launch a ground operation.
Read also | The CIA is working to arm Kurdish militant groups for ground operations in Iran
Reports also said that Kurdish groups opposed to the Iranian regime could also be used to spark another popular uprising in Iran, which, contrary to US expectations, has not yet occurred following the airstrikes.
Key things
- The US has canceled a major military exercise, fueling speculation about the deployment of troops in Iran.
- President Trump’s evolving stance on ground troops could signal a shift in US military strategy in the region.
- The fallout from the troop deployment could affect American lives and affect the upcoming midterm elections.
