US mobilizes troops for ground offensive in Iran

United States military commanders are preparing troops stationed in the Middle East for a possible ground incursion into Iran in the coming weeks. According to a report from Washington Post newspaperpreparations do not involve a full-blown invasion, which is off the radar at the moment. There would be chances of incursions with specific objectives, using special operations units as well as conventional infantry forces.

The Iranian government reacted in a statement from the President of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: “Publicly, the enemy sends messages of negotiation and dialogue while, in secret, it plans a ground offensive.”

One of the objectives of an eventual American offensive would be to capture the island of Kharg, which serves as a distribution center for Iranian oil in the Persian Gulf. It would also be in the plans to make advances in other coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz, to find and destroy weapons and missile launch sites that threaten navigation. However, even the capture of the island is viewed with reservation by military experts.

Michael Eisenstad, director of Military Studies at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, was categorical: “I just wouldn’t want to be in that small place with Iran’s ability to launch drones and perhaps artillery.” It would be smarter, he said, for American troops to eliminate some of Iran’s coastal military installations that pose a threat to commercial and military shipping.

Washington alternates threat of land offensive with talks of negotiation

There are approximately 50,000 American troops in the Middle East. In comparison, in the invasion of Iraq in 2003, 250,000 soldiers were used. In recent days, the White House has alternated between statements that the end of the war is near and others in the opposite direction, making threats of total escalation if Tehran does not cooperate. Press Secretary Karoline Lwavitt said that if the Iranian government does not put an end to its nuclear ambitions and cease threats against the US and its allies, Donald Trump is “prepared to unleash hell” on the regime.

Trump, however, stated on March 20 that he would not “put troops anywhere.” “If it were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you, but I’m not going to deploy troops,” he assured. More recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “can achieve all of its objectives without ground troops.”

When asked by the Washington Post about plans for ground operations, Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that “it is the Pentagon’s job to make the necessary preparations to give the Commander in Chief maximum flexibility. This does not mean that the president has made a decision.”

The possibility of sending young Americans to fight on land against the Iranian regime does not have the support of the majority of Americans. A survey by the Associated Press in conjunction with the University of Chicago found that 62% of respondents were strongly against the use of ground troops in Iran, with just 12% in favor. On the other hand, support for air strikes is supported by 33% of those interviewed, while 39% are against.