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As the U.S.-Iran war escalates, there are growing concerns that a ground operation could be on the horizon as relentless U.S. airstrikes fail to break Tehran’s resolve.

U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to rule out the possibility of deploying ground forces as the war, which is largely now a fight for control of the Strait of Hormuz, continues to wreak havoc on global energy markets. And the United States has reportedly deployed additional military personnel to the region, including special operations forces and medics, to expand Trump’s menu of options.

As the U.S.-Iran war escalates, there are growing concerns that a ground operation could be on the horizon as relentless U.S. airstrikes fail to break Tehran’s resolve.

U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to rule out the possibility of deploying ground forces as the war, which is largely now a fight for control of the Strait of Hormuz, continues to wreak havoc on global energy markets. And the United States has reportedly deployed additional military personnel to the region, including special operations forces and medics, to expand Trump’s menu of options.

This week, U.S. lawmakers pressed top Trump officials about whether a ground operation is being seriously considered. At a hearing on Tuesday, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would not explicitly state whether he anticipated that ground combat would be the next step for the United States in the fight. But Caine conceded that “air power’s got limits” and said that “we always develop an unbelievable amount of options.”

Former U.S. military officials and experts told Foreign Policy that the United States does not appear to be moving toward a major ground operation in Iran, which would require far more troops than the roughly 50,000 that are currently deployed in the region. But they said that it’s possible there will be ground forces involved in more limited operations, such as moving to seize important islands—like Kharg—or special-operations raids on military sites.

“I don’t think........

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