The Pentagon Has Allowed A Ground Invasion Of Iran

• 20.05.2026, 9:33

The President of the United States retains all options available to him.

A ground operation by US troops inside Iran is one of the options that remain on US President Donald Trump's desk. This was announced by the Pentagon's assistant chief of foreign affairs Daniel Zimmerman to Congress. "The president retains all options available to him," he said in response to a question from lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee.

As The New York Times reported on May 16, citing sources, the United States and Israel are preparing for a possible resumption of a military operation against Iran as early as this week. One scenario is sending U.S. special forces to search for underground nuclear materials (particularly at the Isfahan site). Alternatively, more aggressive bombing of Iranian infrastructure.

The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Kane, said in early May that more than 50,000 U.S. troops, two aircraft carriers, more than a dozen destroyers and dozens of combat aircraft "remain ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if ordered to do so."

Now there are 5,000 Marines and 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division in the Middle East. According to military officials who spoke to the NYT, these forces could conduct an operation to seize Iranian nuclear materials in Isfahan and could also be used to seize Kharg Island, the center of Iran's oil exports.