The United States is weighing possible ground operations in Iran, including raids on Kharg Island and coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz, but President Donald Trump has not approved any deployment, according to a report by The Washington Post. The newspaper said the options under discussion would fall short of a full-scale invasion and could involve special operations forces and conventional infantry.
The reported planning comes as the U.S. military sends more forces into the region. U.S. Central Command said Saturday that 3,500 servicemembers aboard the USS Tripoli had arrived, along with transport aircraft, strike fighters, amphibious assault capabilities and other tactical assets.
Reuters reported that the Pentagon was considering military options that could include sending ground troops into Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the United States could achieve its goals without ground troops, but said some forces were being deployed so Trump would have “maximum” flexibility to adjust strategy.
The Pentagon was also expected to send thousands of troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. That deployment would add to about 5,000 Marines being moved to the Middle East and come on top of the 50,000 U.S. forces already in the region, according to The Associated Press.
The troop movements have added to questions about whether Washington is positioning itself for limited ground strikes, including possible operations to secure the banks of the Strait of Hormuz or seize Kharg Island, a key part of Iran’s oil industry. According to the report, defense experts said U.S. forces could capture the island and help secure the strait, but warned such a move could lead to a costly war of attrition.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Sunday that the United States was publicly talking about diplomacy while privately preparing for a ground attack. “The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while secretly planning a ground attack,” Ghalibaf said in a statement carried by IRNA.
In a separate report, Tasnim News Agency said Ghalibaf warned that any U.S. ground invasion of Iran would bring severe punishment for American forces and their regional allies. No U.S. decision to launch such an operation has been confirmed.
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