The U.S. Department of Defense is preparing a ground operation in Iran that could last several weeks, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing American officials.
The ground operation would fall short of a full-scale invasion but could involve a surprise attack combining special operations forces and infantry units, the report said. The military plan has been developed by the Pentagon over several weeks.
Specifically, the Defense Department has discussed seizing Kharg Island, Iran's major oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, and locating and destroying positions along Iran's coastline near the Strait of Hormuz capable of attacking tankers and warships. One official told the Post that achieving the objectives would take "weeks, not months," while another said the expected timeline would be "several months."
However, the Post noted that "it remains unclear at this point whether President Donald Trump will fully approve the plan, approve only parts of it, or withhold approval entirely." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Pentagon's mission is "to prepare so that the president, as commander-in-chief, has the maximum range of options," adding that "this does not mean President Trump has made a decision."
Mixed signals are currently emerging from within and outside the Trump administration regarding the deployment of ground troops. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters after a Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting in Paris on Tuesday that "all objectives can be achieved without deploying ground troops." According to Axios, Rubio said during the meeting that the war could continue for another two to four weeks.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, announced Wednesday that it had completed the additional deployment of 3,500 personnel to the region, saying "U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have arrived in the CENTCOM area of responsibility."
