The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of potential ground operations in Iran, although it remains unclear whether President Donald Trump would approve all, some, or none of the plans, The Washington Post reported late Motzei Shabbos.

U.S. officials told the paper that any ground action would be more limited than a full-scale invasion, potentially involving special forces alongside regular infantry units.

Over the past month, the Trump administration has discussed the possible seizure of Kharg Island — a key Iranian oil export hub in the Persian Gulf — and potential raids into other coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz, aimed at locating and destroying weapons capable of targeting commercial and military vessels.

Seizing Kharg Island carries significant risks for US troops, said Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, adding that it would be safer for U.S. forces to mine the waters around the island and use it as leverage to pressure Iran into clearing any mines it has placed in the Strait of Hormuz.

“I just wouldn’t want to be in that small place with Iran’s ability to rain down drones and maybe artillery,” said Eisenstadt, a retired Army officer who served in Iraq, Israel, and Jordan. “I think it’s better not to have the troops located in any given place for a prolonged period of time. Agility is part of your force protection, if they are moving and doing raids, in and out.”

A more effective ground operation, he said, might involve U.S. troops “clearing out” several Iranian coastal military positions that threaten commercial and military vessels. Some of these sites sit near the Strait of Hormuz while others are likely farther up the coastline, he added.

A retired senior military officer told the Post that although Kharg Island is Iran’s most important asset in the Persian Gulf, U.S. military officials have examined other Iranian islands closer to the Strait of Hormuz as potential sites for U.S. operations.

Another former senior official familiar with U.S. military planning told The Washington Post that the plans for a ground war in Iran are extensive. “We’ve looked at this. It’s been war-gamed,” the official said. “This is not last-minute planning.”

Seizing Iranian territory, the source added, will embarrass the Iranian regime and create valuable leverage in future negotiations. The greatest challenge, however, would be protecting any U.S. forces holding such territory.

“You’ve got to provide cover for the people on Kharg Island,” the official said. “That’s the difficult task. Seizing it is not difficult. Protecting your guys once they are there is.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)