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US military preparing for potential ground invasion of Iran - report

On March 20, 2026, The Jerusalem Post published US military preparing for potential ground invasion of Iran - report, by Jerusalem Post Staff. Citing CBS News, the Post said the Pentagon had prepared for deploying US ground forces into Iran. In the same article, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that planning is not a presidential decision, and that the president was not planning to send ground troops anywhere at that time. An American family should care because "ground forces into Iran" means American troops on Iranian land. The denial is part of the story. Both are on the page.

Background for new readers: On 28 February 2026 the United States and Israel began a joint air war on Iran. The Pentagon calls its part Operation Epic Fury; Israel calls its part Operation Roaring Lion. It came eight months after a shorter war in June 2025, when US bombers hit Iran's nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The question running through this section is whether the air war turns into American soldiers fighting on Iranian soil. This article is filed under Pentagon Ground Plans 2026; the full article index lists every article on this shelf.

Evidence rating: MODERATE. The rating covers The Jerusalem Post's report, citing CBS News and multiple sources, that the Pentagon had prepared for deploying US ground forces into Iran and for detaining Iranian soldiers, alongside the White House statement that planning is not yet a decision.

What the article says​

The Jerusalem Post wrote that the Pentagon had made preparations for deploying US ground forces into Iran. It attributed that to a CBS News report citing multiple sources briefed on Friday. It said senior US military officials had submitted detailed preparation requests to President Donald Trump as a campaign the Post calls Operation Epic Fury continued. It said the Pentagon was also preparing for the possible detention of Iranian soldiers and paramilitary operatives during a ground offensive.

The Post printed Leavitt's statement. The decision portion says:

it does not mean the President has made a decision, and as the President said in the Oval Office yesterday, he is not planning to send ground troops anywhere at this time.

Karoline Leavitt, White House statement, as printed by The Jerusalem Post, March 20, 2026. The sentence on the page begins earlier. She also said it is the Pentagon's job to make preparations so the commander in chief has "maximum optionality."

The Post added, citing Reuters and three US officials, that the United States would deploy thousands more Marines and sailors to the Middle East as the US-Israeli war reached the three-week mark.

The same article quotes Trump on a CNBC call that Friday. He said the US could leave the Iran operation and still leave Tehran unable to rebuild for more than a decade, but that this was not acceptable. He said that if the US left then, rebuilding would take at least 10 years, but that they would rebuild, and that if the US stayed longer they would never rebuild. That is about staying in the fight.

CBS News, which the Post cites, was opened for this page. On March 20, 2026, CBS reported that Pentagon officials had made detailed preparations for deploying US ground forces into Iran, according to multiple sources, and that senior commanders had submitted requests while Trump weighed next moves. CBS printed the same Leavitt statement. CBS also reported that Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday: "No, I'm not putting troops anywhere." He added: "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you." CBS reported meetings on where Iranian detainees might be sent if he decided on boots on the ground. CBS also reported that the United States was preparing to deploy elements of the 82nd Airborne Division into the Middle East region, and that thousands of Marines were moving toward the region.

The Post says Goldie Katz contributed to its article.

What other reporting adds​

How the Post's own post was received. The Jerusalem Post shared this article on X the same evening: "The United States Pentagon has made preparations for deploying US ground forces into Iran, according to a CBS News report citing multiple senior sources." One reply called it "a lie" and "Propaganda to hurt the efforts of America's plan so Trump will look bad," without giving a source (research capture: twitter/t49__v579.md). The CBS report the Post relied on was opened for this page, so that reply does not change the rating.

A political scientist the same night. An X account run by a political scientist posted that military planners were preparing for many scenarios, including the worst case (@Pol_ScientistNG on X, 20 March 2026; research capture: twitter/t49__v585.md).

Reuters the same day. Three US officials confirmed the Marine deployment to Reuters. "But two officials also said at the time that no decision had been made to send those troops into Iran itself," as STL.News later summarized (STL.News, 21 September 2026; research capture: twitter/t49__v580.md).

A lawmaker after the classified briefing. Six days later, Representative Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, posted: "I will not support troops on the ground in Iran. EVEN MORE SO after this briefing." (as quoted by @jackimaniel on X, 26 March 2026; research capture: twitter/t49__v581.md).

What it shows​

Israel's best-known English-language daily told its readers on 20 March 2026 that the US military was "preparing for potential ground invasion of Iran." The White House answer confirmed the preparation, calling it the Pentagon's job to give the President "maximum optionality," while the President said he was "not putting troops anywhere" and "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you." The same day, thousands more Marines and sailors were ordered to the region. Put the denial and the deployments side by side on No Boots on the Ground; the planning record is on Pentagon Ground Plans 2026.

Check it yourself​

Last Updated: 2026-09-26

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