The operations would fall well short of a full-scale invasion but could involve a mix of special operations forces and conventional infantry carrying out raids on Iranian soil, the officials said on condition of anonymity.
Discussions within the administration over the past month have included plans to seize Kharg Island, Iran's vital oil-export hub, and to strike coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz where Iranian forces can target commercial and military vessels, according to the Post.
One official said the operations would take "weeks, not months" to accomplish their objectives, though another told the newspaper the timeline could stretch to several months.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Defense Department's mission is to provide the commander-in-chief with the widest range of options, adding that the planning does not mean the president has made a decision.
The United States has been massing ground-capable forces in the region as Operation Epic Fury enters its fifth week. About 5,000 Marines and 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division are being repositioned to the Middle East, and U.S. Central Command said about 2,200 Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the assault ship USS Tripoli completed their deployment to the theater on March 27.
U.S. media have also reported that the Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 additional troops, including infantry and armored units, to the region — a buildup that would represent the largest American ground presence in the Middle East since the Iraq War.
Whether President Donald Trump will authorize a ground campaign remains uncertain, but the scale of the preparations signals that military planners are assembling executable options rather than theoretical contingencies, defense analysts said.
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