New Delhi: According to a report in The Washington Post, the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of limited ground operations in Iran. This offensive is likely to include raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the contested Strait of Hormuz. The plans, which fall short of a full invasion, could involve raids by special operations and conventional infantry troops, according to the report.
Footfall incoming?
The report by the Post further added that it is still uncertain if US President Donald Trump would approve any of the ground invasion. “It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the president has made a decision,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said while responding to the Washington Post report.
The report is in line with other similar conjectures that have been going on for some time now in terms of a US ground invasion in Iran as military action does not look to de-escalate. At the same time, the Trump administration has deployed US Marines to the Middle East as the war in Iran stretches into its fifth week. There are also reports that US plans to send thousands of soldiers from the army’s 82nd Airborne to the region are incoming.
On Saturday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said about 3,500 additional soldiers arrived in the Middle East on board the USS Tripoli. The sailors and marines are with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and arrived in the region on March 27, along with “transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets”, according to CENTCOM.
Officials speaking to The Washington Post said discussions within the administration over the past month have touched upon the possible seizure of Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub in the Gulf. Also possible are raids into other coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz. According to the report, one person said the objectives under consideration would probably take “weeks, not months” to complete, while another put the potential timeline at “a couple of months”. The Pentagon had not responded on Saturday to the Post’s requests for comment.
The report comes at a time when Pakistan looks to mediate between Washington and Tehran, hosting two days of talks starting on Sunday with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt.