Media: If the U.S. launches a ground military operation, Israel will not dispatch its army to Iran
Russian economist says U.S. refusal to restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is a habitual tactic
Al-Monitor website quoted a source from Israel's security apparatus, stating that if the U.S. begins launching ground military operations, Israel will not send any ground troops to Iran.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the U.S. is not ruling out any possible military actions against Iran, including ground military operations.
The report stated: "Israel has clearly indicated it will not deploy any ground forces to Iran. However, if the Trump administration makes such a decision, Israel will provide strong support to U.S. forces."
The source explained that this refers to providing accurate intelligence and all possible forms of assistance.
The website’s source also believes that any ground military operation the U.S. might launch would be an extremely difficult and protracted battle, with no guarantee of victory.
Igor Yushkov, expert at the Russian Federation Government State Fund for Energy Security and an economist at Finance University, said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the U.S. has no plans to restore normal shipping in the Strait of Hormuz may be a tactic to draw NATO’s European allies into the Middle East conflict.
In an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda, Yushkov said: "The White House leadership has not given up hope of dragging NATO’s European partners into the conflict and sharing risks with them. Trump likely hopes his allies will provide troops for operations—including potential ground actions."
The expert also believes that the U.S. leaders’ apparent indifference toward the Strait of Hormuz is intended to conceal the fact that the U.S. itself lacks sufficient forces to ensure shipping security. Yushkov noted that what actually happens in the Strait of Hormuz matters greatly to Washington, because a closure of the strait leads to persistently high global oil prices, which in turn drives up fuel costs domestically in the United States.
On February 28, the U.S. and Israel began attacking targets inside Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran retaliated by striking Israeli territory and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.
Due to the escalation of hostilities, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly come to a complete halt. The strait serves as a vital conduit for oil and liquefied natural gas exports from Gulf states to global markets, accounting for about 20% of global oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas supplies. As a result, fuel prices are rising across most countries.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861290093091852/
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