Pentagon Preparing Weeks of Ground Operations in Iran — Week 5 of a War Trump Is "Bored" With

On March 28, 2026, the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations inside Iran, citing U.S. officials. The plans involve raids by Special Operations forces and conventional infantry — falling short of a full-scale invasion but marking a massive escalation from the air campaign. One official said objectives would take "weeks, not months."

Specific targets under consideration:

• Seizure of Kharg Island — Iran's key oil export hub handling 90% of its crude exports
• Raids into coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz to find and destroy weapons targeting commercial and military shipping
• U.S. Marines already deployed; thousands of 82nd Airborne soldiers being sent; up to 10,000 additional troops under consideration

Whether Trump would approve remains uncertain.

The contrast with the administration's own messaging is staggering. In the past week alone:

• Trump declared the war "already won"
• A senior White House official said Trump is "getting a little bored with Iran"
• Trump claimed Iran offered to make him Supreme Leader
• Iran rejected the 15-point peace plan and mocked Trump with "You are fired"
• Reuters reported only a third of Iran's missiles have been confirmed destroyed
• The war has cost $25+ billion with no end in sight

A president who is "bored" with a war he started without congressional authorization is now facing the decision of whether to send American ground troops into Iran — a country of 88 million people, three times the size of Iraq, with mountainous terrain and a military that still possesses two-thirds of its missile arsenal.

No congressional authorization for ground operations has been sought or granted.