The US-Israeli war in Iran has taken center stage. Donald Trump's statements that he may send US troops to Iran have raised concerns about a full-scale conflict.
"As every president says, 'there will be no troops on the ground'. I'm not saying that," the US president is reported to have said, as attacks on Iran continue.
Military analysts say that the reality on Iranian soil will not allow for a... traditional invasion.
"Boots on the ground" or "selective" operations?, this is how Al Jazeera's article on the conflict in the Middle East begins.
Strategic analyst Colonel Nidal Abu Zeid, in an interview with "Al Jazeera", said that it is unlikely that the US will consider a traditional ground attack with tanks and or ground troops, but rather a different form of warfare.
According to Zeid, the statements by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reflect what are militarily called “selective” or “gathering” operations. These involve limited operations by special forces, which infiltrate specific locations to conduct precise sabotage or intelligence-gathering missions, followed by a rapid withdrawal.
A traditional invasion to seize territory is not feasible, Abu Zeid stressed, citing Iran's complex geopolitical environment, difficult geography and population density, which give Tehran a clear defensive advantage.
He noted that Israel has also stated in the past that a ground operation in Iran is unfeasible.
In this context, moreover, yesterday's revelation by the All Street Journal also occurred, regarding a scenario to arm and activate minorities within Iran to harm the regime in various ways.
Recall that Trump revealed that the decision for the joint US-Israeli operation came after the failure of the "final talks" in Geneva. He claimed that the reason was the fact that Iran had secretly transferred its nuclear program to a completely different location.
Initially, Trump estimated that the war would last about four weeks, but stated that the primary goal of eliminating Iran's leadership, which included the assassination of 49 senior officials, was achieved in a single day.
Missile warfare and naval propaganda
Although the Iranian leadership has been severely damaged, Tehran has continued to retaliate. At least six American service members have been killed in the conflict with Iran, according to US military reports.
At the same time, the Revolutionary Guard said it fired four cruise missiles at the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is near Iranian waters.
Abu Zeid called the claim propaganda, designed to damage the morale and prestige of the US military.
Domestic reaction and political pressure
Despite the military momentum, Trump faces skepticism at home. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 27% of Americans approve of the strikes, while another CNN/SSRS poll put approval at 41%. Trump dismissed the figures, claiming that a “silent majority” supports preventive action to prevent “crazy people” from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Abu Zeid noted that American and Israeli intelligence may have underestimated Iran's ability to quickly repair its chain of command.
Iran’s “flood of fire” strategy in all directions remains the defining question, as Trump continues to talk about achieving the goal of ‘decapitating’ the leadership in a single day. However, time is running out on both sides, and the next phase of this war may not be decided by US military forces on Iranian soil, but by which side runs out of time and missiles first.
