Donald Trump has done his best to avoid putting American boots on the ground in Iran. Troops being deployed in hostile territory inevitably means casualties, and the more flag-draped coffins unloaded from planes, the worse he looks.
Just days ago, on Mar. 20, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, “No, I’m not putting troops anywhere“. But, like so much of what Trump says, this wasn’t true. Military observers have now noted that a “huge” deployment is currently underway that can only be a precursor to a ground war:
WOW.
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) March 24, 2026
There is a HUGE Special Operations Deployment arriving in the Mid East.
The seizure of Kharg and Hormuz Island is almost 100% going ahead.
We don’t deploy this for nothing.
Army Ch-47 Helicopters
160th SOAR MH-60 helicopters
Units fm:
Both 1st & 2nd Batt 75th… https://t.co/FFBIySVb3Z
This is the opinion of Malcolm Nance, a highly regarded veteran of US intelligence and bestselling author, who reports that multiple special operations units are arriving at airbases in Israel, Jordan, and Oman, along with helicopters and equipment.
“A commitment to take action”
Nance concludes that “the seizure of Kharg and Hormuz Island is almost 100% going ahead”, as underlined by the presence of a “runway repair” team that indicates a priority will be the seizure of Kharg Airport. As he underlines:
“This force is not leverage. This is a commitment to take action.”
If the invasion of Kharg and Hormuz Island happens, it’ll dramatically turn up the heat on Trump’s Iran war. Kharg Island is of huge strategic importance to Iran and is heavily defended by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with a mixture of air defense, naval defense, and ground forces in fortified bunkers.
The US has already heavily bombarded Kharg, weakening those defenses. But that doesn’t mean taking it will be a walk in the park. Whether by amphibious assault, parachute, or helicopter insertion, it’s going to be a brutal battle with high casualties on both sides.
For reference, Lindsey Graham has already compared this to the Battle for Iwo Jima in World War II, which killed 28,000 American troops.
Right now, it’s not a question of whether Trump can seize Kharg Island – overwhelming US military superiority means that if he orders it, it will be done eventually. The question is how many deaths the American public will tolerate from what’s already a deeply unpopular war that still doesn’t have a clear objective or goal. I guess we’re about to find out.
