Pentagon prepares for weeks of ground operations in Iran

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/28/trump-iran-ground-troops-marines/

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/62514525

Archive article: https://archive.is/WCeDJ

The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, U.S. officials said, as thousands of American soldiers and Marines arrive in the Middle East for what could become a dangerous new phase of the war should President Donald Trump choose to escalate. Any potential ground operation would fall short of a full-scale invasion and could instead involve raids by a mixture of Special Operations forces and conventional infantry troops, said the officials. All spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss highly sensitive military plans that have been in development for weeks.

91 points · 21 comments · view on lemmy.world

21 Comments

Carmakazi@piefed.social · 33 pts · 162d (1 reply)

"It's just a short term air campaign."

"It's just a small ground raid."

Reminder that our involvement in Vietnam started as small beans SOF incursions, too.

flandish@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 162d

AND through lies too - the Gulf of Tonkin “attack” was a lie. Just like the WMDs and “nukes” in the middle east.

Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works · 17 pts · 162d (2 replies)

Just a small special military operation. Back before easter halloween christmas 2030

resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 161d (1 reply)

Three days, tops.

Renohren@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 161d

Oh! Right in time to see Swan Lake at the Kennedy centre. Great!

middlemanSI@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 162d

Gotta help israelis genocide and landgrab while gun lobby gets ritcher, people get poorer. USA USa uSA /s

PetteriPano@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 162d (1 reply)

Iran has a professional army with a ground force of 300k.

That's about the same number of boots the US has. It'll be no small logistic feat to get that operation a chance.

arrow74@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 162d

It will probably come down to US aircraft and overwhelming the Iranian government very quickly.

If the US does invade and fails its first push the the scale tips back in Iran's favor.

It will be bloody. The drones will also take down many aircraft, but they likely dont have enough yet to stop the US. However everyday that goes by tips the scale in Iran's favor.

Even if the US did topple the government is just going to be like Afghanistan all over again.

Akasazh@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 162d (1 reply)

This isn't going to be a surprise attack. They once held the advantage but they pissed that away. Now they will face a prepared enemy in an advantaged position.

Vex_Detrause@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 161d

What’s the end goal? Surrender? Or partial surrender?

Lydon_Feen@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 162d (1 reply)

But... But... The big orange bozo said the war was over already.

markko@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 161d

Tony Schwartz, Drumpf's ghostwriter for The Art of the Deal, told The New Yorker "More than anyone else I have ever met, Trump has the ability to convince himself that whatever he is saying at any given moment is true, or sort of true, or at least ought to be true."

resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 161d

Greyghoster@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 162d (2 replies)

It may be a negotiation tactic, he may actually plan to have a go but just as likely he is going to TACO.

theolodis@feddit.org · 5 pts · 162d (1 reply)

This guy doesn't know how to negotiate. Because Iran is aware that their territory is better to defend, than to attack.

Greyghoster@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 161d

He’s a bully and like most bullies he’s a coward which is why TACO fits as a label.

AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 161d

daychilde@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 161d (2 replies)

“We did Iwo Jima, we can do this,” Graham said in an interview on Fox News last weekend. “My money’s always on the Marines.”

7000 US soldiers died on Iwo Jima, and nearly 20,000 were wounded.

markko@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 161d

The numbers don't matter. What matters is not being seen as a loser

rwrwefwef@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 161d

7000 US soldiers died on Iwo Jima, and nearly 20,000 were wounded.

Which is kinda interesting since they have around 10k troops deployable troops. One wouldn't want to be in the situation where the US "wants to save lives lost resulting from a ground invasion"...

ButtermilkBiscuit@feddit.nl · 3 pts · 161d

"weeks" hahahahaha