The Pentagon is preparing for weeks-long operations on the ground in Iran, as reported by The Washington Post on Saturday, March 28th, citing American officials. This comes as the United States is bolstering its presence in the Middle East. In response, 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,” Ghalibaf said in a statement relayed by Iran’s official news agency Irna.
According to anonymous American officials quoted in the American press, such operations would not lead to a large-scale invasion of Iran, but would involve raids on Iranian territory by special forces and other soldiers. The Washington Post reported that it was unclear on Saturday whether Donald Trump would approve any, all, or none of the Pentagon’s plans.
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 news arises as the United States’ involvement in the Middle East conflict is bolstered by the arrival of the amphibious assault ship Tripoli in the area. Announced by the US military on Saturday, the ship is leading a naval group that includes “some 3,500” sailors and Marines, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The arrival of the ship comes shortly after statements by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, suggesting that the United States could achieve its goals in Iran without deploying troops on the ground.
On Saturday, US Vice President JD Vance stated, “We are not interested in a presence in Iran for one or two years,” adding that Washington had “achieved most of its military objectives.” “We are managing the situation, we will soon be leaving and gasoline prices will decrease,” he added.
” I’m not deploying troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you, but I’m not deploying troops,” Donald Trump also stated from the White House on March 20, as reported by The Washington Post. These remarks were made at the beginning of the month.
However, the US president has been ambiguous about a possible deployment of troops on the ground, and several American media outlets have recently reported that he is considering sending at least 10,000 troops to the Middle East soon.
