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Pentagon Plans Limited Ground Raids in Iran as Thousands of US Troops Deploy

Pentagon Plans Limited Ground Raids in Iran as Thousands of US Troops Deploy
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The Pentagon drew up plans for weeks-long ground operations in Iran as thousands of U.S. troops moved into the Middle East, opening the door to a far riskier phase of the month‑old war if President Donald Trump orders an escalation washingtonpost +1. Officials said the options focused on limited raids, not a full‑scale invasion, even as public opinion in the United States remained firmly opposed to sending ground forces reuters +1.

U.S. planning accelerated after nearly four weeks of air and missile strikes on Iranian targets, which U.S. Central Command said had hit roughly 9,000 sites across the country, including missile, drone and naval assets aa. Thirteen U.S. service members had been killed and more than 300 wounded, while Iran’s leadership rejected a U.S. ceasefire proposal and issued a five‑point counteroffer demanding reparations and guarantees of sovereignty jpost +1.

What the Pentagon Is Preparing — and With Which Forces

U.S. officials said the Pentagon’s concepts envision “weeks, not months” of ground operations involving raids by Special Operations forces and conventional infantry, including possible seizures of Iranian islands and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz rather than a drive on Tehran washingtonpost +1. Among the units ordered toward the region are two Marine Expeditionary Units — the 31st and 11th MEUs, each about 2,200 strong — and elements of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, bringing the potential additional U.S. ground presence to roughly 6,000–8,000 personnel aa +1.

Operational discussions reported in Washington focused on targets such as Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, and smaller islands near the shipping lanes, along with raids to destroy missile, drone and naval capabilities threatening commercial traffic jpost +1. Military analysts noted that the size and composition of the forces pointed to discrete, time‑limited operations rather than any attempt to occupy large swaths of Iranian territory, but warned that holding seized ground against drones, missiles and small‑boat attacks would be significantly harder than initial landings aa.

Political Pressure in Washington and Defiance in Tehran

Inside the administration, aides framed the preparations as providing “maximum optionality” for Trump, who told reporters, “I’m not putting troops anywhere,” even as deployment orders went out washingtonpost. Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly argued the war could still end in “weeks, not months,” while signaling that a “crushing show of force” remained on the table if diplomacy stalled and Iran kept constricting traffic through Hormuz jpost. In Congress, Republicans pressed for more detail on objectives and costs, and Democrats warned against mission creep, as polls showed about 60% of Americans opposed sending ground troops into Iran reuters +1.

Tehran dismissed U.S. claims of back‑channel talks, rejected the 15‑point U.S. ceasefire proposal and announced its own conditions, including sanctions relief and recognition of its control over key waterways jpost. Iranian officials warned that any attempt to seize islands would trigger attacks on “all the vital infrastructure” of regional states supporting U.S. operations, while the Revolutionary Guard signaled it would target American bases and shipping if ground forces crossed onto Iranian soil jpost +1.

The Bigger Picture

The Pentagon’s contingency plans underscored how quickly a campaign that began on 28 February as an air and missile offensive had edged toward potential ground combat, with regional shipping, global oil supplies and domestic U.S. politics all tightly intertwined washingtonpost +1. Whether Trump authorizes any of the options may hinge on Iran’s response to mounting military pressure and on the political appetite in Washington for a higher‑risk escalation that many allies in Europe and the Gulf have urged the United States to avoid reuters +1.