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According to The Washington Post, the Pentagon is preparing U.S. forces for prolonged ground operations in Iran, with officials indicating the mission could last “weeks, not months,” a timeline recently emphasized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
For a war first expected to last hours, then days, are we now to believe “weeks” is the final projection?
If carried out, the ground operations could involve raids by special operations forces and conventional infantry units, which could pose significant risks to troops, exposing them to Iranian ground fire, missiles, and explosive devices.
Could the buildup of troops signal a plan to seize Iran’s uranium? According to multiple sources, that appears increasingly likely. President Trump is reportedly considering using troops to capture enriched uranium at Iranian nuclear sites. However, analysts warn that a mission like this would be complex and high-risk even for specialized forces.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump has directed advisers to intensify pressure on Tehran to surrender roughly 450 kilograms of enriched uranium as part of any deal to end the conflict, while also discussing the possibility of “seizing it by force” if negotiations break down.
Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, weighed in on U.S. interest in Iran’s uranium, saying, “They just want to get their energy source, like they do from Latin America, the Caribbean, the Persian Gulf and other parts of our planet.”
Because risking American troops to secure one energy source from Iran isn’t enough, Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday that he would also like to seize Iran’s oil, explaining, “To be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘Why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people.”
To do this, the U.S. would have to seize critical oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, which accounts for about 90% of Iran’s crude exports. This would be a disastrous move that would present serious threats to American military forces, given that the island is roughly 20 miles off Iran’s coast, and would therefore leave troops vulnerable to drones and missiles launched from the mainland.
Escalating the conflict by preparing to invade Iran in this way, particularly ahead of signaling peace talks, has further increased tensions, with officials, such as Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, declaring, “Unaware that our men are waiting for the arrival of American soldiers on the ground to set fire to them and punish their regional partners forever. Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place.”