President Donald Trump has yet to approve any of the Department of War’s invasion plans, according to the Washington Post
The US Department of War is reportedly drafting plans for weeks of potential ground operations in Iran, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Tehran has already lost the month-long war and is begging for a deal to surrender.
Any ground mission would not be a “full-scale invasion,” but rather limited raids by Special Operations forces and conventional infantry troops, several US officials who spoke with the Washington Post on condition of anonymity have insisted.
Potential objectives could include the seizure of Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub, or raids into coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz to destroy weapons capable of targeting commercial and military shipping.
President Trump has yet to approve any of the Department of War’s plans. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it is the Pentagon’s role to make preparations to provide the commander in chief with “maximum optionality.”
Earlier on Saturday, the US Central Command said the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship joined the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the region. The new reinforcements include around 3,500 US sailors and Marines with transport and strike aircraft, as well as amphibious assault assets.
Here are the latest developments:
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to strike two yet-to-be-named US-Israeli-linked educational facilities in the region unless Washington formally condemns and reins in Israel by 12:00pm Tehran time on Monday, March 30.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry previously accused the US and Israel of “deliberately” erasing the country’s scientific foundation and cultural heritage – following the latest strikes on the Isfahan University of Technology and the University of Science and Technology in Tehran.
Yemen’s Houthis have formally entered the war on Saturday, targeting multiple “sensitive Israeli military sites” in an attack timed to align with operations carried out by Iran and Hezbollah.
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