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US Prepares for Potential Ground Operations and Coastal Raids in Iran
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The Pentagon is actively preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, signaling a potentially dangerous new phase in the Middle East conflict as thousands of American soldiers and Marines arrive in the region, The Washington Post reported on March 29, citing US officials speaking anonymously.
Any potential ground operation would likely fall short of a full-scale invasion. Instead, the US military is planning a series of agile raids conducted by a mix of Special Operations forces and conventional infantry troops, according to the US officials cited in The Washington Post.
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Discussions within the administration over the past month have centered on potential targets such as Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, as well as coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz. These raids would aim to locate and destroy weapons systems threatening commercial and military shipping.
However, officials told The Washington Post that such missions would expose US personnel to severe threats, including Iranian drone swarms, missiles, ground fire, and improvised explosives.
The preparations come amid mixed messaging from the Trump administration. While US President Donald Trump recently told reporters in the Oval Office that he is “not putting troops anywhere,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that the president is “prepared to unleash hell” if Tehran does not cease its threats.
Leavitt clarified to The Washington Post that the Pentagon is preparing options for the Commander in Chief, but no final decision has been made. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that the United States could achieve its objectives without ground troops, insisting the conflict will not be prolonged.
The human toll of the conflict is already mounting. In the past month, 13 US troops have been killed in action, including six in an aircraft crash in Iraq, six in a drone strike on Kuwait’s Port Shuaiba, and one at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, more than 300 service members have been wounded by Iranian retaliatory strikes across seven Middle Eastern countries. The prospect of deploying combat troops on Iranian soil faces steep domestic opposition; a recent AP-NORC poll cited by The Washington Post found that 62 percent of Americans strongly oppose the use of ground troops in Iran, with just 12 percent in favor.
Military experts are also raising red flags about the logistical and tactical realities of the proposed operations. Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, cautioned against seizing and holding territory like Kharg Island, warning that US forces would be sitting targets for Iranian artillery and drones.
Instead, he advocated for highly mobile, “in-and-out” raids along the coast to clear out military sites.
Currently, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, comprising about 2,200 US sailors and Marines, has been ordered to the region to potentially carry out these missions. The looming threat of boots on the ground has deeply fractured Trump’s Republican backers in Congress.
While veterans within the GOP, such as Rep. Derrick Van Orden and Rep. Nancy Mace, have firmly stated they will not support putting troops on Iranian soil, others are pushing for aggressive action. Sen. Lindsey Graham has openly called for US forces to seize Kharg Island, drawing bipartisan condemnation after he compared the potential operation to the World War II battle of Iwo Jima.
The Pentagon’s urgent need to clear out Iranian coastal missile batteries and drone launch sites is underscored by the increasingly sophisticated nature of Tehran’s targeting capabilities—which are now being directly aided by Russia.
According to recent statements made by German officials, Russia is actively providing Iran with intelligence to help identify American strike targets. This intelligence-sharing is a calculated move by the Kremlin designed to maximize the impact of Iranian strikes, inflame the ongoing Middle East conflict, and divert Western military resources away from supporting Ukraine in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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