REPORT: Pentagon Readies Plans For Weeks-Long Ground Operation In Iran

The Pentagon has developed contingency plans for ground operations in Iran that could last several weeks, according to a report from the Washington Post.

According to the report, these preparations focus on limited, targeted missions rather than a full-scale invasion.

The options under consideration center on raids combining Special Operations forces with conventional infantry units. Officials described the planning as a standard military process designed to provide the president with a range of choices should escalation be authorized.

No decision has been made to implement the plans, and White House sources have characterized potential ground operations as hypothetical.

In support of these contingencies, the U.S. military has positioned additional ground-capable forces in the Middle East. Two Marine Expeditionary Units, each including several thousand Marines along with amphibious warships, aviation assets, and landing craft, have already deployed to the region.

These units specialize in rapid-response missions such as amphibious landings and raids. Separately, approximately 1,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are expected to arrive in the coming days.

The operations under discussion could involve securing specific sites, including Kharg Island — a primary Iranian oil export terminal — or conducting coastal actions near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian forces have reportedly increased defenses in these areas in recent weeks, including additional personnel, air defenses, and obstacles.

The preparations occur against the backdrop of an ongoing U.S.-Iran military engagement that began with joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28.

In the initial phase, which has lasted roughly four weeks, U.S. and allied forces conducted extensive air and missile strikes that significantly degraded Iranian naval assets, ballistic and cruise missile stockpiles, and production facilities. Pentagon briefings have indicated that a substantial portion of Iran’s missile capabilities has been neutralized, though exact timelines for further actions remain unspecified.

U.S. officials have stated that any ground phase would be short-duration and focused on neutralizing remaining threats, such as securing highly enriched uranium at nuclear-related sites or disrupting residual command-and-control networks. Current build-ups are explicitly designed to avoid the scale of past operations in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to the report.

Logistics for sustained operations over several weeks would require maintaining supply lines for fuel, ammunition, and medical support while accounting for potential threats including drones, ground fire, and improvised explosives.

The Trump administration has not publicly confirmed approval for ground operations. War Department officials have reiterated that the Pentagon’s role is to present the commander in chief with fully developed options to ensure operational readiness.

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