The US has drawn up plans for ground operations in Iran that could span several weeks, officials in the Pentagon have said.
Thousands of American soldiers and Marines are currently arriving in the Middle East as preparations are being made for a potential major escalation in the conflict.
Defence chiefs are understood to be eyeing special forces raids alongside conventional infantry operations.
Rather than a full-scale invasion of the Iranian mainland, the Pentagon has mulled using these troops to capture Kharg Island, the Islamic Republic’s principal oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf.
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Officials revealed that discussions have also covered potential strikes on coastal positions near the Strait of Hormuz, targeting weaponry capable of threatening both commercial vessels and military ships.
Those familiar with the highly sensitive plans spoke anonymously, telling the Washington Post that preparations have been underway for weeks.
One source indicated the operations being considered would require "weeks, not months".
However, a further insider estimated the timeframe at "a couple of months."
The Pentagon has drawn up plans for a ground invasion in Iran
|GETTY
It comes as President Donald Trump has dispatched the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East while US air and naval power pummels the Islamic Republic.
The force, comprising around 2,200 US Marines and sailors, is capable of conducting such rapid coastal incursions.
However, senior military officers familiar with the 31st have warned about how long the Marines could fight without additional supplies and reinforcements.
American troops undertaking such daring missions would face considerable dangers, including Iranian drones, missiles, ground fire and improvised explosives.
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The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, comprising around 2,200 US Marines and sailors, has been dispatched to the Middle East
|GETTY
Michael Eisenstadt, who heads the Military and Security Studies Programme at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, suggested that seizing Kharg Island would leave the Marines exposed.
The retired Army officer, who served in Iraq, Israel and Jordan, said: "I just wouldn't want to be in that small place with Iran's ability to rain down drones and maybe artillery."
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are likely to dig in with fierce determination to hold Kharg Island, the jewel in the crown of the regime's energy industry.
Whether President Trump will authorise ground operations against Iran remains to be seen.
Among the targets could be Kharg Island, the jewel in the crown of Iran's energy industry
|GETTY
Responding to news of the Pentagon’s plans emerging, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "It's the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality.
“It does not mean the President has made a decision."
However, she had previously warned that Mr Trump was "prepared to unleash hell" should Tehran refuse to abandon its nuclear ambitions and halt threats against America and its allies.
The President himself told reporters on March 20: "I'm not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not putting troops."
It remains unclear if President Trump will authorise the mission
|GETTY
On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed this position, asserting that the US "can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops."
Launching a ground invasion of Iranian territory would represent a major escalation in the conflict and could see an increase in US casualties.
Since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, 13 American service members have been killed in action.
Six died in an aircraft crash in Iraq, another six were killed by a drone strike on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait, and one soldier lost their life during an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
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