The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of limited ground operations inside Iran, including potential raids targeting Kharg Island and coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Officials have confirmed. The plans, which do not currently encompass a full-scale invasion, involve the possible deployment of both special operations forces and conventional infantry, exposing U.S. Personnel to significant risks from Iranian defenses, including drones, missiles, and improvised explosive devices.
The preparations come as the war in the Middle East enters its fifth week, prompting the deployment of U.S. Marines and plans to send thousands of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region. Approximately 3,500 additional U.S. Service members arrived in the Middle East aboard the USS Tripoli on Saturday, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). These forces include personnel from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, along with transport and strike fighter aircraft, and amphibious assault capabilities.
Discussions within the administration, as reported by The Washington Post, have centered on the potential seizure of Kharg Island, a critical hub for Iranian oil exports, and raids on other coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz. The stated objective of these operations would be to locate and destroy weaponry that could threaten commercial and military shipping lanes. Officials estimate that any such operations would likely take “weeks, not months” to complete, though one source suggested a potential timeline of “a couple of months.”
The White House acknowledged the Pentagon’s preparations but emphasized that no decision has been made. “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,” stated White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in response to inquiries about the report.
Simultaneously, Iran has issued increasingly assertive warnings in response to perceived threats. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, stated on Sunday that while adversaries were “sending messages of negotiation and dialogue,” they were simultaneously planning a ground attack. According to the Tasnim news agency, Ghalibaf declared, “Unaware that our men are waiting for the arrival of American soldiers on the ground to set fire to them and punish their regional partners forever. Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place.”
Earlier in the week, Ghalibaf warned that Iranian intelligence suggested plans by “Iran’s enemies” to occupy an Iranian island, with support from an unnamed regional country. He asserted that any such attempt would be met with targeted attacks on the “vital infrastructure” of the supporting nation. A military source, quoted by Tasnim, further indicated that Iran could open a latest front in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategically significant waterway between Yemen and Djibouti, if military action occurred on “Iranian islands or anywhere else in our lands.” The source also suggested that Yemen’s Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, were prepared to intervene to “control the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.”
Pakistan is currently mediating between Washington and Tehran, hosting talks on Sunday with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt. The discussions aim to de-escalate tensions in the region, but the timing coincides with the reported U.S. Military preparations and Iran’s increasingly bellicose rhetoric. As of Saturday, the Pentagon had not responded to requests for comment from The Washington Post, and Iran has not yet publicly addressed the report of potential U.S. Ground operations.
