The Pentagon is preparing for operations lasting several weeks on the ground in Iran, as reported by the Washington Post on Saturday, March 28, citing American officials, as the United States strengthens its posture in the Middle East. On the other side, the president of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated on Sunday that the United States was planning a ground offensive. “The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue, while secretly planning a ground offensive,” said Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in a statement relayed by the official news agency Irna.
Such operations would not lead to a large-scale invasion of Iran, emphasized American officials speaking anonymously in the American press, but would involve raids on Iranian territory by special forces and other soldiers. According to the Washington Post, it was not clear on Saturday whether Donald Trump would approve all, some, or none of the Pentagon’s plans.
When asked by the media, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated, “It is up to the Pentagon to make the necessary arrangements to provide the commander-in-chief with maximum options. This does not mean, however, that the president has made a decision.”
The information from the capital’s newspaper comes at a time when the United States’ posture in the war in the Middle East is strengthened by the arrival of the amphibious assault ship Tripoli in the area, announced on Saturday by the US Army. This helicopter carrier is at the head of a naval group that includes “about 3,500” sailors and Marines, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The announcement of the ship’s arrival comes shortly after statements made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, who believed that the United States could achieve its goals in Iran without deploying troops on the ground.
Vice President JD Vance stated on Saturday that the United States was “not interested in a presence in Iran for one or two years”, adding that Washington had “achieved most of its military objectives”. “We are handling the situation, we will soon leave and gas prices will decrease,” he added.
“I am not deploying troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you, but I am not deploying troops,” Donald Trump also said on March 20 from the White House, as reported by the Washington Post. These remarks were made earlier in the month.
However, the US president maintains some ambiguity about the possible deployment of troops on the ground, and several media outlets in the US have reported in recent days that he is considering sending at least 10,000 troops to the Middle East soon.
