How Will Iran Respond to Any American Ground Assault on Its Territory?

SadaNews - It seems that tensions are escalating between the United States and Iran, as a week of targeted American strikes has failed to revive negotiations or reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The violent American strikes that targeted bridges and train stations, as well as what the U.S. Central Command said were rocket and drone launch sites, observation towers, and naval vessels, have not succeeded so far in enforcing the conditions desired by President Donald Trump. Although the Iranians responded to these strikes by attacking what they described as American interests in the region, both sides have demonstrated a certain commitment to limiting the locations of these mutual attacks. The American strikes have primarily been confined to the coastal strip and southern borders of Iran, targeting energy, communication, and military sites from Khuzestan to Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, and Sistan and Baluchestan, but have notably concentrated on Hormozgan Province, particularly Bandar Abbas and the areas overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, as explained by Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Tehran, Nour Al-Dhahir. Possible Ground Assault Earlier today, there were discussions about the interruption of communications and internet services in Bandar Abbas after 16 communication towers were targeted; however, Al-Dhahir mentioned that services resumed after repairing the damage caused by the attacks. Nonetheless, Al-Dhahir believes that Iranian strikes might remain commensurate with American strikes similar to what occurred in the past seven days, where the response has been limited to targeting facilities mainly in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, and to a lesser extent in Qatar and Oman. Iranians anticipate that American operations along the coastal strip and the southern borders of Iran could expand in the coming days, with a possible attempt for a ground invasion in the islands overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, considering previous strikes that Al-Dhahir stated targeted specific objectives related to communications, defense centers, and armament, especially in the islands of Hormuz, Larak, Qeshm, Greater and Lesser Tunbs, and Abu Musa, which appears to pave the way for forces preparing to enter. However, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard's naval forces stated that the United States has no option but to distance itself from the Gulf, which Al-Dhahir described as an Iranian attempt to confine current operations to the Strait of Hormuz and American interests in the region. The Al Jazeera bureau chief in Tehran cited the Revolutionary Guard's statement about reopening the Strait if American strikes ceased, but confirmed that Iranians do not dismiss the possibility of significantly expanding operations in the upcoming week. Currently, the Iranian military assessment predicts a ground invasion of the islands overlooking Hormuz, and possibly an expansion of operations within Iran itself, as Al-Dhahir notes, pointing out that the Revolutionary Guard will respond to any of these scenarios by broadening its targeting of economic and energy facilities in the region, as a form of reciprocal response, and may open other fronts. Possible Expansion of the War At present, some military figures are discussing including the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the equation, affecting navigation in the Suez Canal and thereby increasing economic pressure on the United States, according to Al-Dhahir. In the United States, viewpoints are not much different from those circulating in Iran, as Al Jazeera correspondent Ahmed Hazem emphasized that the strikes over the past week were focusing on Iranian forces around the Strait of Hormuz, from missile launch platforms, boats, and drones. However, a military official told the Wall Street Journal that Trump is "considering a broader course, as the current situation is not driving Tehran toward negotiations or reopening the strait." However, details of this potential expansion of operations are still unknown, according to Hazem, as Trump has previously spoken about striking water, energy stations, and bridges, and possibly an important nuclear facility at Jabal al-Fas if necessary to force Iran to make concessions. The American president believes that military operations and naval blockades will lead to results, but they will not be swift because the blockade of ports takes effect slowly by reducing the volume of imports to Iran, as reported by Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Washington. Trump has not yet made this decision despite threatening it multiple times, while Democrats criticize the war which they view as futile, saying that the Trump administration "has not planned for it," and has driven Washington into a new quagmire in the Middle East. Conversely, allies of the American president support launching more strikes to close all doors on Iran, which they believe "will not accept compromises and must be pushed toward surrender," according to Hazem, who stated that this faction sees the memorandum of understanding as "a victory for Tehran" and "the biggest disappointment and confusion in American foreign policy." Furthermore, the pro-war faction within the United States believes that the current negotiations are worthless and will not yield any results with the Iranians, according to Hazem. On the ground, the number of American troops wounded in the conflict with Iran has risen to 13 soldiers since last Monday, according to the official casualty count released by the Pentagon. Mohsen Rezaei - the military advisor to the Iranian supreme leader - has vowed that his country will enter a "comprehensive offensive stage" if American strikes continue for "more than two to three days."