The U.S. military has been developing plans for a ground attack on Iran for years, retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, the former commander of U.S. Central Command, said on Sunday, amid reports that President Trump is considering sending troops into the war.
“Margaret, for many years we have been looking at options along the southern coast of Iran, seizing islands, seizing small bases. Usually raids. A raid is a planned withdrawal. You wouldn't stay. But you could seize and control some of those islands. That would have some impact,” McKenzie told CBS News' Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation.”
“First of all, it would be extremely humiliating for Iran and would give us a lot of weight in the negotiations. Second, the example of Khag Island that everyone is talking about, if you capture Khag Island, you can really shut down Iran's oil economy completely. The beauty of taking it is that you're not destroying it,” he said.
The Washington Post reported this weekend that the Defense Department was preparing plans for a ground operation in Iran that could last several weeks. U.S. officials told The Washington Post that the ground operation could involve special operations forces and regular infantry units conducting attacks.
About 3,500 sailors and Marines from the aircraft carrier USS Tripoli arrived in the Middle East Central Command area on Friday. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit's amphibious readiness group includes “transport and attack fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets.”
U.S. officials said the massive deployment of troops in the Middle East a month after the war began did not signal Trump's decision to use ground troops.
McKenzie said U.S. operations in Iran could achieve a certain level of success without a ground component.
“I think the opening of the Strait of Hormuz is a success. We have some kind of agreement on the ballistic missile program, we have some kind of agreement on the nuclear program. That's probably what you were hoping for,” he said.
“I believe all of these things are actually within our control. We just have to keep going. Iran will eventually respond with the use of force,” he added.
According to recent polls, a majority of Americans view the war negatively. In a recent CBS News/YouGov poll, 60 percent of respondents opposed conflict with Iran, while 40 percent supported it.
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