Media: Pentagon is developing plans for a decisive strike against Iran
Sputnik News, Washington, March 26 — According to sources familiar with the matter and two officials cited by Axios, the Pentagon is drafting plans for a "decisive strike" against Iran, including the deployment of ground forces and large-scale bombing.
Some officials believe this show of force could either serve as leverage in peace negotiations or provide President Trump with an exit ramp to declare "victory."
Sources indicate that Trump is weighing several options: invading and occupying Hormuz Island, or invading Larag Island, or seizing Abu Musa Island along with two smaller islands at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, or blockading or seizing vessels carrying Iranian oil on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz.
Axios reports that U.S. military forces are also preparing plans for ground operations inside Iran, but these carry excessive risk, and Trump has not yet made a final decision; the U.S. may opt for airstrikes inside Iran instead of pursuing such high-risk operations.
Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran is closely monitoring the deployment of U.S. forces in the Middle East. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that Iran is ready and will respond to any threat with all available means. The United States has not yet recognized Iran’s full capabilities, and will see them firsthand on the battlefield.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 25 that whether the U.S. might deploy ground troops to secure the Strait of Hormuz is purely hypothetical, adding that only President Trump can make such a decision.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860743666510848/
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