Pentagon preparing for ground operations in Iran, reports U.S. media

The Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran — potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz — though President Donald Trump has not yet approved any deployment, the Washington Post reported on Saturday (March 28, 2026).

Any ground operation would stop short of a full-scale invasion, instead involving raids by special operations forces and conventional infantry troops, the Post said, citing unnamed officials.

Iran-Israel war LIVE: Yemen’s Houthis enter Iran war with attacks on Israel

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted on Friday the United States “can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops,” but the Post said planning is advanced, with one official saying: “This is not last-minute planning.”