Pentagon preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, Washington Post report

The plans could involve raids by Special Operations and conventional infantry troops, the Post reports

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a briefing with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, US, Mar 19, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing US officials.

The plans could involve raids by Special Operations and conventional infantry troops, the Post reported. Whether President Donald Trump would approve any of those plans remains uncertain, according to the Post.

The Trump administration has deployed US Marines to the Middle East as the war in Iran stretches into its fifth week, and also has been planning to send thousands of soldiers from the US Army's 82nd Airborne to the region.