According to anonymous officials, any potential ground operation would not be a full-scale invasion but could involve raids carried out by joint forces of special operations units and conventional infantry.
Such a mission could expose American personnel to numerous threats, including Iranian drones, missiles, improvised explosive devices and ground fire, the WP noted.
In recent days, the Trump administration has oscillated between statements that the war is ending and threats of escalation. The U.S. president has expressed a desire to negotiate an end to the military conflict, but as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned on March 24, if the Iranian regime does not abandon its nuclear ambitions and stop threats against the United States and its allies, Trump is “ready to unleash hell on them.” In comments to the WP, Leavitt said the Pentagon’s task is to conduct preparations that give the commander in chief maximum freedom of choice. However, she stressed this does not mean the American leader has already made a decision.
Officials reported that over the past month, the president’s administration has discussed the possible seizure of Kharg Island. One WP source clarified that achieving the objectives would likely require “several weeks, not months.” Another official suggested the potential timeline could be “several months.”
On March 23, President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to postpone strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.
In a post on Truth Social network, he wrote that the United States and Iran had held “very good and productive talks” over the previous two days regarding a complete and final settlement of military actions in the Middle East. Trump noted that negotiations would continue this week.
Later, Trump again stated that the United States and Iran are negotiating to end the war and that there are “major points of agreement” between the sides. He expects an agreement to be reached very soon.
On March 26, Wall Street Journal journalist Alex Ward reported that at least three Republicans in the U.S. Congress are hinting at possible preparation for a ground operation in Iran that could begin in the near future.
On March 27, the outlet reported, citing Defense Department sources, that the Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 additional American troops to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran.