US–Israel–Iran War: Boots on the Ground? |
Israel’s leadership adopted comparable objectives. Israel’s leadership, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, authorised strikes to prevent Iran from arming Hezbollah and Houthi proxies and to blunt Tehran’s capacity to threaten Israel’s borders. Analysts note that Trump’s rhetoric veered towards regime change, but official briefings emphasised military rather than political goals. The Modern War Institute cautions that regime change “without boots on the ground is very unlikely”.[2]
Before the war, about 40,000 US troops were stationed across Middle Eastern bases—Bahrain (home to the Fifth Fleet), Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base (approximately 10,000 personnel), Kuwait’s Camp Arifjan and Buehring, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and installations in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan[3]. To prosecute the 2026 conflict, Washington surged its largest force since 2003: two aircraft‑carrier strike groups (USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford), more than a dozen other warships, B‑1 and B‑2 bombers, F‑22, F‑35, F‑15 and F‑16 jets, and refuelling tankers. Patriot and THAAD batteries were bolstered to defend against Iranian retaliation.[4]
Speculating ground action, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, carrying nearly 1,800 Marines, has been deployed to the Indian Ocean. The Tripoli is embarked with troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. According to the US Navy data, the vessel can carry around 1,850 Marines along with a crew of about 1,200 sailors. Supporting it is the amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans, part of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, which can accommodate an additional 700 Marines. US President Donald Trump has indicated that American forces could target Iran’s Kharg Island, a critical hub handling nearly 90 per cent of the country’s oil exports. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s USS Boxer amphibious group, comprising up to 2,200 Marines, has been directed towards the Middle East. Additionally, around 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division have reportedly been ordered to the region.[5]
According to the Global Firepower database, Iran fields approximately 610,000 active‑duty soldiers and 350,000 reservists, for a total military manpower of approximately 1.18 million. Approximately 350,000 troops serve in the regular army and 190,000 in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); the Basij paramilitary adds about 220,000 personnel.[6] Iran’s ballistic‑missile stockpile is the region’s largest, its navy operates more than 100 fast-attack craft and 25 submarines, and it compensates for a modest air force (approximately 250 combat‑capable aircraft) with extensive drone programmes and underground missile bases. Iran’s air power and naval assets were largely destroyed in the opening days of the conflict.
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