1st LD Writethru: Pentagon prepares for weeks of ground operations in Iran: media

China unveils long-term care insurance for aging population Jury finds Meta, Google negligent, causing harm to kids Edmond de Rothschild Paris offices raided in Epstein-linked probe Sarah Mullally becomes first female Archbishop of Canterbury 1st LD Writethru: Pentagon prepares for weeks of ground operations in Iran: media NEW YORK, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, as thousands of U.

S. soldiers and Marines arrive in the Middle East for what could become a dangerous new phase of the war should U. S. President Donald Trump choose to escalate, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Any potential ground operation would fall short of a full-scale invasion and could instead involve raids by a mixture of Special Operations forces and conventional infantry troops, the newspaper quoted officials as saying on the condition of anonymity.

Such a mission could expose U. S.

personnel to an array of threats, including Iranian drones and missiles, ground fire and improvised explosives, the report noted, adding the Trump administration in recent days has vacillated between declaring that the war is winding down and threatening to amplify it.

Discussions within the U. S.

administration over the past month have touched upon the possible seizure of Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, and raids into other coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz to locate and destroy weapons capable of targeting commercial and military shipping, said officials.

They added that in the past month, 13 U. S. troops have been killed in action, including six in a plane crash in Iraq, six in a drone attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait, and one in an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.