Trump Raises the Option of Ground Troops, Putting the Strait of Hormuz on the Brink of All-Out War

[Financial News] As the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran has effectively collapsed, U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering extreme military options, including the deployment of ground troops. The U.S. military is also moving to expand airstrikes around the Strait of Hormuz into Iran's interior. Iran, meanwhile, has declared that it will defend the strait and retaliate.

According to Axios, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and other outlets on the 16th local time, Trump recently received briefings in the White House Situation Room on military options aimed at ending the war with Iran early. The options under review include expanding airstrikes, striking underground nuclear facilities, and deploying ground troops.
The most attention-grabbing scenario is the deployment of ground troops. Since the war began, the U.S. military has relied only on airstrikes. Aside from a brief ground incursion in late March to rescue a fighter pilot whose aircraft crashed in Iranian territory, it has not sent in ground forces. If carried out, the move would escalate the war into a full-scale conflict.
The most likely target under U.S. review is Kharg Island. Located northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, the island is a key hub through which about 90% of Iran's oil exports pass. Washington is also considering taking control of strategic points in the strait, including Abu Musa Island and the Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb islands. Securing those islands would significantly weaken Iran's ability to control the waterway.
Trump also did not completely rule out the possibility of seizing Kharg Island in a Fox News interview the previous day. He said, "I can't say, but if we weaken them enough and push them back, we will do that."
However, deploying ground troops would also place a heavy burden on the United States. It could turn into a prolonged war like the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, while also risking U.S. casualties and worsening public opinion at home. Robert Howard, a former Navy vice admiral who served as deputy commander of CENTCOM, warned of the risk of missile and drone attacks, saying, "Harder than occupation is maintaining the occupation."
Trump is also said to be reviewing strikes on underground nuclear facilities known as "Pickaxe Mountain." However, analysts say success would not be guaranteed even with bunker-buster bombs, as the facility is deeper than the existing Natanz Nuclear Facility and the Fordow nuclear site. Attacks on civilian infrastructure such as power plants and bridges are also being discussed as options, but they carry the burden of possible violations of international law.


The U.S. military continued airstrikes for a fifth straight day. According to IRNA and other Iranian state media, explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas in the south and in Ahvaz in Khuzestan Province. Then, in the early hours of the 16th, a series of explosions was also reported in Iran's interior, including Lorestan Province, Markazi Province, and Semnan Province. Iranian media suggested that the U.S. may have expanded its airstrike zone from the southern coast into the interior.
In response, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, said in a national address, "Since the United States has violated the MOU, we have no reason to honor it either," adding, "Our armed forces have full freedom of action to confront enemy aggression." He specifically defined control of the Strait of Hormuz as a core national security issue and made clear that Iran would defend it to the end.
He did not, however, completely close the door to talks. Ghalibaf said, "Negotiation is not compromise, but part of a resistance strategy to protect national interests," presenting a 'two-track strategy' that combines military response with diplomacy.
Trump also continued to pressure Iran, saying, "I don't like setting deadlines," but adding, "They know the situation well, and they would be better off doing the right thing." He then claimed, "We will defeat Iran soon," and "When the war ends, global oil prices will fall back to prewar levels."
km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter