'Disaster waiting to happen': Prospect of U.S. ground troops in Iran triggers alarm

[Passages]

The deployment of thousands of Marines and paratroopers – potentially to seize Iran’s Kharg Island or other Iranian territory – is spurring worries among former military officials and lawmakers.

Mar. 26, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
By
David Rohde
President Donald Trump has mused for decades about sending U.S. troops into Iranian territory. A key Republican senator close to the president is now publicly advocating for it. And lawmakers in both parties are sounding the alarm about the prospect.

The Trump administration’s deployment of 8,000 U.S. ground troops to the Middle East this week is inflaming tensions on Capitol Hill and spurring angst around the world — and is unlikely to force the Iranian regime to capitulate to U.S. demands, according to lawmakers, former U.S. military officials and experts on the region.

“I don’t think they’re any kind of a game-changer,” Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told MS NOW of the prospect of U.S. ground forces entering Iran. “I don’t think they represent a new and present danger to the Iranian government that would cause them to change their calculus.”

About 3,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division are preparing to deploy to the region, 2,500 Marines will arrive within days and a second group of 2,500 Marines will arrive within weeks. The 8,000 troops, though, are a small fraction of the 150,000 U.S. troops who invaded Iraq in 2003.
https://www.ms.now/news/trump-iran-war-ground-troops-kharg-island

[Ocelot II]

1. He should lead the troops into battle like kings did in the olden days.

If Richard III and Henry V could do it, why can't Piggy? William the Conqueror! What a grand name, wouldn't Piggy love to be called the Conqueror? Albert of Belgium commanded troops on the front lines as recently as WWI. Come on, tough guy. Lead the Marines in the Battle of Kharg Island! Be the guy who plants the flag! Double-dog-dare ya!

[Passages]

2. Would be an epic photo too..enough so, he might consider it. ha ha

[Ocelot II]

3. I wouldn't put it past his minions to come up with an AI picture of him

as the lead guy in a version of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima.

[Passages]

4. You're right, they might do it...a bootlicker thing.

Anything to make their king happy.

[IbogaProject]

6. Donald the Dunce

Donald the Dimwitt

[patphil]

8. How about Dumbshit Donnie?

[Jughead]

5. Time to

Remove him.

[Figarosmom]

7. It'll be like Afghanistan.

Last edited Thu Mar 26, 2026, 02:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Our troops will be trying to cross mountains and the population that lives there will easily wipe them out or push them back. It will surely show how out of their depth trump and the drunk are. They sure aren't leadership. They are just figureheads.

[Farmer-Rick]

9. There are going to be a lot of dead American troops

They maybe able to eventually take over the island. But we are going to see a lot of dead American troops before that happens.

[Passages]

10. Inevitable.

[BarbD]

11. Handwriting is on the wall.

Stupidi, tragic. What idiots.