Nicolai Due-Gundersen (@nicolaiofarabia.bsky.social)

Pentagon preparing for US ground assault in Iran, says report <article data-history-node-id="436946" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/pentagon-preparing-us-ground-assault-iran-says-report" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/pentagon-preparing-us-ground-assault-iran-says-report" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Pentagon preparing for US ground assault in Iran, says report</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>The Pentagon is preparing options for a ground assault in <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/iran" target="_blank">Iran</a>, as thousands of <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/us" target="_blank">US</a> troops and marines arrive in the Middle East, The Washington Post reported on Saturday. </p> <p>Citing US officials, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/28/trump-iran-ground-troops-marines/" target="_blank">report</a> said any such operation would not be a full-scale invasion, but could involve raids by a mixture of conventional infantry and special operations forces. </p> <p>As of Saturday, it was not clear whether US President Donald Trump had approved any of the Pentagon’s plans. </p> <p>US personnel would be exposed to significant risks if such a mission were carried out, including threats from Iranian drones and missiles, improvised explosives and ground fire. </p> <p>US officials said that recent discussions referred to a possible seizure of Kharg Island, Iran’s crucial oil export hub in the Gulf. </p> <p>“You’ve got to provide cover for the people on Kharg Island,” one official said. “That’s the difficult task. Seizing it is not difficult. Protecting your guys once they are there is.”</p> <p>The administration has also discussed raids into coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz to find and destroy weapons targeting international shipping. </p> <h3>Read more: <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pentagon-preparing-us-ground-assault-iran-says-report">Pentagon preparing for US ground assault in Iran, says report</a></h3> <figure role="group" class="media-block"> <div class="group-inner"> <div alt="US Navy Landing Craft Air Cushion vessels unload equipment on to a beach in Oceanside, California, 18 October 2025 (Mario Tama/Getty Images via AFP)" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ac8ffe69-1b7b-47f0-aaec-348f9149e173" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/us-marine-corps-california-afp.jpeg" width="1400" height="788" alt="US Navy Landing Craft Air Cushion vessels unload equipment on to a beach in Oceanside, California, 18 October 2025 (Mario Tama/Getty Images via AFP)" typeof="foaf:Image" fetchpriority="high"> </div> <figcaption>US Navy Landing Craft Air Cushion vessels unload equipment on to a beach in Oceanside, California, 18 October 2025 (Mario Tama/Getty Images via AFP)</figcaption> </div> </figure> <p><span style="background:rgba(220,220,220,0.5);background-image:url(https://www.middleeasteye.net/modules/contrib/ckeditor/vendor/plugins/widget/images/handle.png);display:none;"><img height="15" role="presentation" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" loading="lazy"></span></p> </div> </div> </article> https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/pentagon-preparing-us-ground-assault-iran-says-report