The U.S. is positioning ground-capable forces in the Middle East after Iran rejected negotiations Wednesday, as speculation grows that Washington could be preparing a decisive next phase and what a ground operation inside Iran might actually look like.
Military experts say the deployments are not a precursor to a large-scale invasion but instead position the U.S. for targeted, short-duration missions â the kind of operations that could be aimed at delivering an intended “final blow” as diplomatic off-ramps narrow. But all options for a ground campaign come with high risk, they say.Â
U.S. officials have not confirmed any decision, but reporting indicates the Pentagon is weighing a range of aggressive options, including expanded strikes and potential ground operations.
In recent days, the Pentagon has moved ground-capable forces into the region, including around 1,000 paratroopers with the Among them is the 1st Brigade Combat Team, a core component of the militarys Immediate Response Force rapid-response unit designed to deploy on short notice to crises anywhere in the world.
Also deployed were a few thousand Marines and sailors assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and its Amphibious Ready Group, led by the amphibious assault ship Tripoli.
Marine expeditionary units and airborne forces often are among the first U.S. units deployed in a conflict to rapidly establish an initial presence and respond to emerging crises.
President Donald Trump said early Thursday on Truth Social Iran “better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it wont be pretty!”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday Iran is reviewing the U.S.’s 15-point ceasefire proposal but was not engaged in negotiations wit the U.S. Trump said in a Cabinet meeting Thursday Iran was “begging” for a deal.
“They’re lousy fighters but great negotiators,” he said. “They’re begging to work out a deal, I don’t know if we’ll be able to do that.”
Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Wednesday the campaign is “almost over.”
“We are seeing the final stages of the degradation of the regime’s offensive capabilities,” Johnson said. “We expect the formal conclusion of these specific strikes to occur in short order.”
The White House has emphasized the deployments are meant to preserve flexibility as the conflict evolves.
“The president likes to maintain options at his disposal,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday at a White House press briefing. “Its the Pentagons job to provide those options to the commander in chief.”Â
Lawmakers on the Armed Services Committees emerged from a classified briefing on Iran Wednesday expressing frustration over a lack of clarity from the administration.
“We want to know more about what’s going on, what the options are and why they’re being considered,” House Armed Services Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., told reporters. “We’re just not getting enough answers.”
“Let me put it this way, I can see why he might have said that,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in agreement.
Military experts said the types of forces being deployed point to a more limited set of options on the ground.Â
“It is not for the type of ground invasion that we saw in Iraq,” James Robbins, Institute of World Politics dean and former special assistant to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, told Fox News Digital. “There simply arent enough troops.”Â
The U.S. already maintains roughly 40,000 troops to 50,000 troops across the Middle East, with recent deployments adding several thousand more, including Marines and airborne units.
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.Â
If were used inside Iran, experts say operations likely would focus on specific, high-value objectives rather than holding territory.Â
One likely focus woul
