U.S. weighs ground operation in Iran

The U.S. Defense Department is preparing for the possibility of a ground operation in Iran that could last several weeks, The Washington Post reported on March 28, citing U.S. officials.

The report came a day after the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli arrived in Middle Eastern waters. The vessel departed Okinawa, Japan, on March 13 carrying about 2,500 Marines and 1,000 Navy personnel. The Trump administration is also considering deploying an additional 10,000 ground troops. Even as Washington has intensified calls for ceasefire talks with Iran, it appears to be simultaneously increasing military pressure.

Citing military officials, The Washington Post said the Pentagon is planning not a full-scale invasion but a limited ground operation involving a mix of special operations forces and conventional infantry. Options under consideration include seizing Kharg Island, a critical hub for Iran’s oil exports, and securing coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz to deter attacks on commercial shipping. Officials said such an operation could last from several weeks to about two months.

The U.S. military has already completed the deployment of 3,500 additional personnel to the region. U.S. Central Command said on X that Navy and Marine forces aboard the USS Tripoli entered its area of responsibility on March 27. U.S. media previously reported that about 2,500 of those on board are Marines capable of conducting ground operations.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is weighing the deployment of 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East. If approved, total ground forces in the region would rise to at least 17,000. This includes 2,500 Marines aboard the USS Tripoli, another 2,500 Marines who departed California on March 25, and 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, a rapid-response unit capable of deploying within 18 hours.

Even with these reinforcements, the buildup would remain far below the roughly 150,000 U.S. troops deployed at the outset of the 2003 Iraq War, reinforcing the view that a full-scale conflict remains unlikely.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after a Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris on March 27 that the United States could achieve its objectives without deploying ground troops, but was preparing to provide President Trump with the widest possible range of options. He added that any military action against Iran would likely be completed in weeks rather than months.

At the same time, Washington has signaled it intends to keep diplomatic channels open. Speaking at a Saudi government-hosted investment event in Miami on March 27, Trump said Iran was negotiating and “seeking a deal.” At the same event, White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said talks with Iran could begin as early as this week.

The U.S. proposal is believed to include dismantling Iran’s nuclear facilities, banning uranium enrichment and guaranteeing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Witkoff said Iran “must not become another North Korea in the Middle East.”


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