US-Iran War: Military planners at the Pentagon have been developing options for weeks of ground operations inside Iran, including possible raids by Special Operations forces and conventional infantry, even as senior administration officials insist no final decision has been taken, according to multiple US officials who spoke to The Washington Post.

The ground operation in Iran plans, which have been in development for several weeks, stop well short of a full-scale invasion. They envisage targeted incursions designed to neutralise Iranian military capabilities, with a particular focus on coastal infrastructure threatening commercial and military shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, WaPo report adds.

Kharg Island, Coastal Military Sites Among Targets Under Consideration

Among the scenarios actively under discussion is the potential seizure of Kharg Island, Iran’s most strategically significant oil export hub in the Persian Gulf. Officials have also examined raids on Iranian coastal military installations near the Strait of Hormuz – a vital global oil-shipping corridor that has come under increasing threat.

One official told The Washington Post that the objectives under consideration would probably take «weeks, not months» to complete, while another placed the potential timeline at «a couple of months.»

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, responding to questions about the military preparations, had 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.»

Trump Says No Troops Being Deployed; Rubio Rules Out Prolonged Conflict

President Donald Trump, speaking on 20 March in the Oval Office, pushed back on the prospect of a ground deployment: «I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you, but I’m not putting troops.»

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in France after a gathering of US allies concerned about the war’s growing economic toll, similarly sought to play down the prospect of a protracted campaign. «It’s not going to be a prolonged conflict,» Rubio told reporters, adding that the United States “can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops.â€

The administration has in recent days alternated between signalling a desire for negotiations and issuing stark warnings to Tehran. Leavitt warned on Tuesday that if Iran does not abandon its nuclear ambitions and cease threats against the US and its allies, Trump is «prepared to unleash hell» against them.

13 US Troops Killed, Hundreds Wounded in Iranian Retaliatory Strikes

The human cost of the conflict has already proved significant. Over the past month, 13 US troops have been killed in action- six in a plane crash in Iraq, six in a drone attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait, and one in an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

More than 300 service members have been wounded in Iranian drone and missile strikes targeting US facilities across at least seven countries in the region, with at least ten sustaining serious injuries.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, comprising approximately 2,200 sailors and Marines, has been ordered to the region in recent weeks. The unit has the capability to conduct the type of raids under consideration, though analysts note it faces logistical constraints on sustained operations without resupply.

Military Analysts Warn of Significant Risks in Any Iranian Island Seizure

Defence analysts have cautioned that seizing territory such as Kharg Island, while operationally feasible, carries considerable dangers.

Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a retired Army officer, told The Washington Post, “I just wouldn’t want to be in that small place with Iran’s ability to rain down drones and maybe artilleryâ€, suggesting that mining the waters around the island and using it as a pressure point might be a less costly alternative.

He argued that more targeted coastal raids could offer a better risk-to-reward ratio. «I think it’s better to not have the troops located in any given place for a prolonged period of time,» Eisenstadt said. “Agility is part of your force protection, if they are moving and doing raids, in and out.â€

A former senior defence official told The Washington Post that planning for a ground campaign in Iran is far from improvised. «We’ve looked at this. It’s been war-gamed,» the official said. «This is not last-minute planning.»

The same official acknowledged that the harder challenge would come after any seizure: «You’ve got to provide cover for the people on Kharg Island. That’s the difficult task. Seizing it is not difficult. Protecting your guys once they are there is.»

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the elite paramilitary force that controls much of the country’s military infrastructure, is expected to mount determined resistance and could use Kharg Island’s oil facilities as cover during any defensive operation.

Public Opposition to Ground Troops Runs High – Congress Divided

Domestic political support for deploying ground troops remains limited. A poll conducted jointly by the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found that 62 per cent of respondents strongly oppose the use of ground troops in Iran, with just 12 per cent in favour. Opinion is more evenly divided over airstrikes against Iranian military targets, with 39 per cent opposed and 33 per cent in favour.

The prospect has also exposed divisions within Trump’s own Republican Party. Representative Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, a retired Navy SEAL and a staunch presidential supporter told WaPo: “The answer is no. We can achieve the strategic goals that Donald Trump wants to achieve without doing that.â€

Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina said on social media, following a House Armed Services Committee briefing, «I will not support troops on the ground in Iran.»

By contrast, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has called explicitly for the seizure of Kharg Island, drawing sharp criticism from legislators on both sides of the aisle after invoking the Second World War battle of Iwo Jima — in which approximately 6,800 US troops were killed. «We did Iwo Jima, we can do this,» Graham said in a Fox News interview. «My money’s always on the Marines.»