Iran is growing increasingly concerned that the United States isn’t stopping at airstrikes—and is preparing for the possibility of expanding the fight with ground forces. According to information obtained by Channel 14, Tehran believes the American strikes are calculated and carefully planned, and has begun preparing for a scenario of full-scale confrontation that could include a U.S. ground invasion.
1+Iran has instructed pro-Iranian militias operating in Iraq to be ready to enter a broad confrontation at any moment Tehran gives the order. According to the directives, the militias may operate in different arenas across the region, including Kurdistan, Kuwait, Jordan, and Baghdad, and Iran isn’t ruling out opening additional fronts depending on developments.
In recent months, during visits by the Quds Force commander to Iraq, militia commanders received a clear message that they must prepare for a series of new and significant confrontations. They were told to avoid as much as possible getting entangled in internal conflicts within Iraq, in order to preserve their strength for a possible regional escalation.
1+At the same time, Iran is aware that some militias in Iraq are seeking to disarm, partly due to American pressure. According to assessments, Washington has succeeded in convincing several smaller militias to do so, but Tehran believes these aren’t the central and powerful organizations.
For this reason, the Iranian effort is now focused on the senior and more significant militias, based on the understanding that they will be the main force in case the fighting expands into a broad regional confrontation—particularly if the United States decides to move from the airstrikes phase to a ground operation.