Pentagon preparing for US ground assault in Iran, says report

Citing US officials, the report said any such operation would not be a full-scale invasion, but could involve raids by a mixture of conventional infantry and special operations forces. As of Saturday, it was not clear whether US President Donald Trump had approved any of the Pentagon’s plans. US personnel would be exposed to significant risks if such a mission were carried out, including threats from Iranian drones and missiles, improvised explosives and ground fire. Earlier this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was “prepared to unleash hell” on Iran if it did not end its nuclear ambitions and stop threats against the US and its allies. Responding to questions about The Washington Post’s report, Leavitt said: “It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the commander-in-chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the president has made a decision.” US officials said that recent discussions referred to a possible seizure of Kharg Island, Iran’s crucial oil export hub in the Gulf. “You’ve got to provide cover for the people on Kharg Island,” one official said. “That’s the difficult task. Seizing it is not difficult. Protecting your guys once they are there is.” The administration has also discussed raids into coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz to find and destroy weapons targeting international shipping. Iran has effectively closed the waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, since the US and Israel began their war a month ago. 'Shooting gallery': How a US invasion of Iranian islands might unfold Read More » US officials have studied using Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz as potential sites for operations. One source said the ground operation could take “weeks, not months” to complete, while another said it would be “a couple of months”. A former senior defence official familiar with the proposals said the planning for a ground campaign was extensive. “We’ve looked at this. It’s been war-gamed,” the official said. “This is not last-minute planning.” The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment. Over the past four weeks, Trump has switched between stating that the war is winding down and threatening further escalation. On 20 March, he told reporters: “I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you, but I’m not putting troops.” On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US could “achieve all of our objectives without ground troops”. Axios reported this week that the Pentagon was preparing a “final blow” against Iran, which could involve both ground forces as well as a huge bombing campaign. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which consists of around 2,200 US sailors and marines, was sent to the Middle East in recent weeks. At least 13 American troops have been killed in action since the war began. Six were killed in a plane crash in Iraq, six in a drone strike on a port in Kuwait and one in a strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. A further 300 personnel have been wounded across the region, including 10 suffering serious injuries. A majority of Americans oppose the deployment of combat troops. Sixty-two percent oppose the use of ground troops, while only 12 percent support it, according to a poll conducted by the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found. War on Iran Pentagon preparing for US ground assault in Iran, says report News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0