The US military is drawing up plans for potential ground operations in Iran that could stretch on for weeks, as thousands of Marines are rushed into the Middle East, officials have revealed.
Defence insiders say preparations are under way for what has been described as a “major escalation”, although any action is expected to fall short of a full-scale invasion, according to reports by The Washington Post.
Instead, the strategy would rely on Special Operations forces supported by infantry units, sources said. It remains unclear whether President Donald Trump has signed off — or will sign off — on the plans.
The build-up comes as the USS Tripoli arrived in the region on Friday carrying around 3,500 sailors and Marines.
On board are the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, normally based in Japan. The force had been conducting exercises near Taiwan before being redirected to the Middle East almost two weeks ago.
Their typical role includes intercepting vessels and seizing territory, according to The Wall Street Journal. US Central Command said the deployment also brings transport aircraft, strike fighters and amphibious assault capabilities.
Further reinforcements are on the way. The USS Boxer and two additional ships — along with another Marine Expeditionary Unit — have been dispatched from San Diego.
The military surge coincides with the entry of Iran-backed Houthi fighters into the conflict, after they launched an unsuccessful missile attack on Israel.
At the same time, the president is weighing up whether to send an extra 10,000 troops to the region to expand Washington’s options.
Despite the build-up, the Trump administration insists the war is nearing its conclusion while still pursuing talks with Tehran.
On Friday, Trump declared: “It's sort of finished, but it's not finished. It's got to be finished.”
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt struck a more forceful tone earlier in the week, warning that if Iran fails to rein in its threats and nuclear ambitions, the President is “prepared to unleash hell.”
She added: “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.”
Sources told The Washington Post that any ground operation could last from “weeks, not months” to “a couple of months”.
The Pentagon declined to comment, while the White House did not respond to requests for clarification.
A former senior defence official said the planning is long-standing rather than reactive. “This is not last minute planning. We've looked at this. It's been war-gamed,” they said.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allies in France that the conflict is not expected “to be a prolonged conflict”.
He added the US “can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops,” according to reports.
Elsewhere, around 10,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division are reportedly being readied for deployment, adding to the thousands already at sea, according to sources cited by AP.
The fighting has already claimed the lives of at least 13 US soldiers — including six killed in a plane crash in Iraq and six in a drone strike on Port Shuaiba.
Tensions escalated further on Friday when Iranian missiles struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, wounding 15 US personnel. Two were “very seriously injured”, while at least two KC-135 refuelling aircraft suffered “significant damage”.
It marks one of the most serious breaches of US air defences since the conflict began, and at least the second time the base has been hit.
An earlier March 1 attack damaged five US aircraft and killed 26-year-old Army Sgt Benjamin N Pennington days after he had been wounded.
In total, more than 300 US troops have been injured in the conflict so far, including around 225 suffering traumatic brain injuries from missile blasts, US Central Command confirmed.
Regional tensions are also hardening, with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states signalling a tougher stance that could see them drawn further into the conflict if strikes continue.
At the same time, US and allied forces are reportedly running low on air defence interceptors after just four weeks of fighting.
Trump has also renewed calls for Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalise relations once the conflict ends, as part of his long-running Abraham Accords push.
“It's now time,” he said. “We've now taken them out, and they are out bigly. 'We got to get into the Abraham Accords.'”
However, Saudi Arabia continues to insist on a credible pathway to a Palestinian state before agreeing to formal ties with Israel.
In a potential diplomatic breakthrough, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said Tehran has agreed to “facilitate and expedite” humanitarian aid shipments through the Strait of Hormuz — even as its nuclear facilities come under attack.
The move follows a UN request and would mark the first easing of pressure on the vital shipping route since the conflict began.
But fears are growing of a wider economic shock after Iran-backed Houthi forces threatened to disrupt another key global chokepoint.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait — known as the “Gate of Tears” — links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and controls access to the Suez Canal.
If both it and the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the consequences could ripple worldwide.
Around 10 per cent of global seaborne trade passes through the Red Sea, including a fifth of container shipments and 10 per cent of crude oil.
Analysts warn that if oil cannot leave the Gulf via Hormuz — and cannot reach Europe via the Red Sea — supply chains would effectively be severed end-to-end, sending energy prices and shipping costs soaring.
