SerpApi.Org
A United States ground invasion of Iran remains a possibility as the Trump administration has not ruled out deploying ground forces to seize strategic islands and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
While the U.S. is currently conducting an extended bombing and airstrike campaign, President Trump has explicitly declined to rule out sending American boots on the ground.
Following recent spikes in regional casualties and missile exchanges, detailed military planning has gained traction in Washington.
Pentagon options under review include utilizing the 82nd Airborne Division and Marine Expeditionary Units to secure key Iranian ports (Kharg Island) and coastal assets.
Iranian Military Inviting US To Invade With Ground Troops
Seyed Mohammad Marandi, an Iranian-American academic identified as a regime "mouthpiece," is stating that Tehran is not only expecting a US ground invasion, but welcoming it.
"The Iranians are hitting very hard, and they are prepared for a land war. They've been preparing for decades," Marandi said.
"The Iranians — we discussed this during the 40-day war before on your show — when I said that the Iranians actually want the Americans to carry out a land invasion, and the same is true now, because they felt that if there was a land invasion, they would win," he told Glenn Diesen.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said its people were "counting down the minutes to welcome" American troops in the event of a ground assault.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the US would face "repercussions" for any aggressive maneuvers. "There are numerous people in those very regions who are eagerly awaiting their arrival," Baghaei told reporters.
A Wall Street Journal report said Washington is reviewing a broader offensive campaign against Tehran. Military options under consideration, according to the WSJ, included more intensive airstrikes and a potential ground incursion against vital Iranian infrastructure.
The Situation On The Ground Doesn’t Point To Ground Troops
Iran’s already stretched-thin economy is teetering on collapse as the country suffers severe economic hardship.
Inflation in April was running at a soaring 67 percent, and millions of Iranians have lost their jobs, while the cost of basic goods and food is rising.
The US had kept strikes "limited"; operations are typically designed to degrade specific capabilities without restarting a full-scale air campaign.
Targets have included Iranian radar installations, drone and missile launch sites, fast boats laying naval mines, and select nuclear infrastructure.
Now, the airstrikes are expanding to take on infrastructure targets such as bridges, power plants, and others, and US Central Command (CENTCOM) has framed them as military targets, as the Iranian military or the IRGC have used them.
The U.S. also utilizes cyber capabilities to disrupt the regime's infrastructure and surveillance apparatus.
During the airstrikes from June of last year, the US used its cyber capabilities to digitally disrupt Iranian air missile defense systems.
“U.S. Cyber Command was proud to support Operation Midnight Hammer and is fully equipped to execute the orders of the Commander-in-Chief and the Secretary of War at any time and in any place," a command spokesperson said in a statement.
In the early hours of the air campaign back in late February, US-Israeli "decapitation strikes" significantly altered the Iranian political and military landscape.
These operations targeted command and control centers and killed top Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
This caused shock and confusion in Tehran, and subsequent strikes caused more confusion as secondary commanders were also eliminated. However, the ceasefire shortly afterward has enabled the IRGC to weather the storm and reorganize, albeit to a lesser extent than previously.
Strategic Resource Interdiction Operations
Strategic Resource Interdiction operations are a possibility. Conducting operations against critical Iranian infrastructure—such as the primary oil export terminals on Kharg Island—to sever the nation's primary revenue source and force concessions.
Kharg Island handles nearly 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports; it acts as the primary lifeline for the Iranian economy, making it a critical hub for any interdiction campaign.
While U.S. forces have repeatedly struck military targets on Kharg Island, seizing or destroying its economic lifeblood pushes Iran to an existential breaking point.
The US has not attempted to destroy the island’s oil facilities to prevent global oil prices from skyrocketing, and the president has made it clear he wants Iran in the future to be able to trade in oil, just not the current regime.
Qeshm Island, positioned near the entrance of the Strait, extends Iran’s surveillance reach and supports naval drone operations and anti-ship missile coverage.
A Ground Invasion of Iran Is Not Going To Happen
Despite all of the pearl-clutching about a US invasion of Iran, the United States has not mobilized for a full-scale ground invasion of Iran.
Instead, ongoing efforts remain focused on targeted air campaigns, maritime security, and economic leverage as part of the broader conflict that began early this year.
Iran’s sheer size would require hundreds of thousands of troops and an enormous logistical tail.
While news media continue to tout its possibility, the relatively small number of ground troops in the immediate region speaks otherwise.
There are approximately 5,000 to 6,000 Marines attached to Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) in the region.
These forces are stationed aboard amphibious assault ships in adjacent waters, prepared for coastal raids or securing shoreline access near the critical Strait of Hormuz.
There are also around 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, one of the division’s "ready brigades” that can deploy quickly to a global hot spot.
This small number of ground troops is not enough to invade, take, and hold any kind of terrain for the long haul.
As a comparison, the U.S. military took roughly six to nine months to build up and gear up for the 2003 ground invasion of Iraq.
Major deployment phases and logistical preparations intensified starting in the summer of 2002, culminating in the coalition ground assault that crossed into Iraq from Kuwait on March 20, 2003.
A final major surge of personnel and equipment arrived in Kuwait, bringing the total in-theater invasion force to approximately 160,000 U.S. and coalition troops before the commencement of military operations.
At best, if the ground troops in theater are to be used at all (and it is a big IF), it would be for a raid to take out a designated target.
They are far too few for any large operation. But if the administration wants to eliminate Kharg Island, it doesn’t need to send in ground troops.
It could turn off the oil there via airstrikes quite easily without risking boots on the ground.
The administration has used strategic air strikes, naval blockades, and targeted special operations (such as the rescue of the F-15 pilot) over sustained boots-on-the-ground campaigns.
And while the president won’t rule out ground troops, it isn’t going to happen.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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