US Military's "Weeks-Long" Iran Ground Operation Plan Revealed, Aiming to Replicate "42-Day Iraq Victory"

On March 29th, news of the US military preparing for ground operations in Iran sent shockwaves globally. Unlike the full-scale invasion of the 2003 Iraq War, the Pentagon is now employing a “scalpel decapitation” tactic – no territorial occupation, no protracted war, directly targeting Iran’s oil lifeline, Kharg Island, in an attempt to replicate the glory of the 1991 Gulf War with a “weeks-long swift victory.” Comprehensive foreign media reports indicate that the Pentagon is preparing for a limited ground operation lasting several weeks, rather than a full occupation. Thousands of Marines and paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division have already deployed to the Middle East. Among them, approximately 3,500 personnel from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, heading directly to the core waters of the Persian Gulf. The US military stated on the 26th that it is considering deploying up to an additional 10,000 ground combat troops, including infantry and armored forces. The total troop size would be only one percent of that in the Iraq War, completely abandoning the operational model of a million-strong army advancing. The Pentagon’s strategic intent is clear: abandon costly and uncontrollably risky full occupation, and instead focus on an “economic strangulation war.” Its core tactical objective directly targets the oil-producing regions in southwestern Iran and the strategic chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz, and specifically locks onto Kharg Island, the core hub for Iran’s crude oil exports. This island handles over 90% of Iran’s crude oil export tasks, making it the lifeline of Iran’s economy. According to PolyBeats monitoring, on the prediction market Polymarket, the probability of US troops entering Iran before the end of this month is 5%, and the probability before the end of April is 64%.