Is the US ready to invade Iran? What Trump’s moves tell us so far

Expectations of a potential US ground invasion in Iran are mounting as the war enters its second month.

Additional US troops have been deployed to the Middle East in recent days as the US Department of Defense prepares for limited ground operations in Iran, according to reports in US media.

Two unnamed US officials told The Washington Post on Saturday that the Defense Department is gearing up for raids on Kharg Island, where 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports are processed, and coastal sites close to the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are transported in peacetime, was in effect closed by Iran after the first US-Israeli strikes on Tehran a month ago. Since then, only a few mostly Chinese-, Indian- and Pakistani-flagged ships have been granted safe passage. This has crippled global energy markets and sent the price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, soaring from about $65 per barrel pre-war to close to $116 on Monday.

The US military plans, which appear to fall short of a full invasion, could involve raids by special operations and conventional infantry troops, the Post reported.

On Sunday in an interview with the Financial Times, US President Donald Trump said he wants to “take the oil in Iran” and could seize Kharg Island.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said US troops would face resistance if they attempted an invasion.

“Our men are waiting for the arrival of the American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all,” he said in a statement on Sunday carried by the official IRNA news agency.

What forces has the US deployed so far? As of mid-2025, long before the war on Iran began, there were 40,000 to 50,000 US soldiers stationed around the Middle East, comprising personnel stationed in both large, permanent bases and smaller forward sites across the region.

Is this deployment enough for a full-fledged invasion?

While a ground invasion of Iran has not been announced by the US, US media reported on Friday that the Pentagon is considering sending a further 10,000 ground soldiers besides the troops already deployed.

This would mean the US would have about 17,000 soldiers on the ground in Iran. It is unclear whether any foreign troops would also join the US.

This number is far less than the number deployed in March 2003 when the US invaded Iraq.