U.S. prepares 'final blow' including ground offensive as Iran boasts of a million-strong force

[Financial News] The United States of America (U.S.), which has been bombarding the Islamic Republic of Iran for about a month together with the State of Israel, is reportedly preparing a large-scale military operation described as a "final blow," including the deployment of ground forces. In response, the Islamic Republic of Iran claims it has organized a "million-strong" force in preparation for a ground war.
Axios, a U.S. political outlet, reported on the 26th (local time), citing four officials, that the United States Department of Defense (DoD) has drawn up four operational options for Donald Trump, the U.S. president, in anticipation of an order to expand the attacks. According to the report, the options prepared by the DoD are: an invasion or blockade of Kharg Island, a key oil export hub of the Islamic Republic of Iran; an assault on Larak Island, a strategic point near the Strait of Hormuz; the seizure of three islands including Abu Musa Island near the Strait of Hormuz; and the seizure or blockade of Iranian oil tankers at the exit of the Strait of Hormuz. Axios also reported that, beyond these four options, the U.S. military is planning a ground operation to penetrate inland Islamic Republic of Iran territory and secure its highly enriched uranium from nuclear facilities.
In connection with this, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, wrote on X (social network) on the 25th that "there is intelligence indicating that the enemies, with the support of a country in the region, are preparing an operation to seize one of Iran's islands." He warned that if an enemy state "undertakes any action, all of that country's critical infrastructure will become targets of unlimited attacks." Abu Musa Island is currently controlled by the Islamic Republic of Iran, but the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also claims sovereignty over it.
Donald Trump, who has been attacking the Islamic Republic of Iran together with the State of Israel since the 28th of last month, is now considering sending in ground troops after Iran moved to control the Strait of Hormuz, a key global maritime oil chokepoint. On the 21st, he warned on social media that if Iran did not fully reopen the strait within 48 hours, he would strike the country's power grid. On the 23rd, he suddenly claimed that he was in negotiations with Iran and said he would postpone the power-grid attack by five days, and on the 26th he announced that the suspension of the strike had been extended until April 6.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, which had previously focused on striking U.S. and Israeli assets in the Middle East with missiles, began to highlight its army's combat power as the likelihood of a ground war increased. Tasnim News Agency reported on the 26th, citing a military official, that "in addition to organizing more than 1 million people for ground combat, in recent days there has been a flood of requests from young Iranians who want to enlist at Basij militia, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh) centers."
The official asserted that "as speculation spreads that the United States may commit the historic folly of launching a ground offensive on Iran's southern front, there is a surge of determination among our ground forces to turn our territory into a historic hell for Americans."
The million-strong ground force mentioned by the official appears to include personnel from the IRGC and the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, as well as reservists from the Basij militia. Iranian media had previously focused on propaganda videos showing drones and missiles being launched, but starting that day they began circulating dynamically edited footage of what appeared to be special forces of the ground troops conducting training. Ali Jahanshahi, a commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces, appeared in local media for the first time since the U.S. airstrikes and declared, "A ground war would be more dangerous for the enemy and would exact a greater price from which it cannot recover." He added, "Every move by the enemy at the border is being monitored precisely at every moment, and our forces are prepared for any scenario."


pjw@fnnews.com Park Jong-won Reporter