From Air War to Ground Risk: Kharg in U.S. Crosshairs as IRGC Escalates Threats

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Middle East 29-03-2026 | 13:25

From Air War to Ground Risk: Kharg in U.S. Crosshairs as IRGC Escalates Threats

As Tehran reels from air raids and missile attacks, Washington weighs a potential ground operation on strategic Kharg Island, while the Revolutionary Guard issues warnings to universities across the Gulf. 
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From Air War to Ground Risk: Kharg in U.S. Crosshairs as IRGC Escalates Threats
A plume of smoke rises from the site of an airstrike in Tehran. (AFP)
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As the war enters its second month, bombardments continued over Iranian cities in recent hours, while the U.S. prepares for a potential ground operation.

 

 

In the latest developments, Iranian media reported explosions in Tabriz in the north of the country and Khorramabad in the west.

 

 

In this context, the Israeli military said it attacked a temporary headquarters of the Iranian regime in Tehran, noting that active leaders were at the site when it was targeted. 


Traces of missiles are seen in the sky over the Israeli coastal city of Netanya amid a new wave of Iranian missile attacks. (AFP)
Traces of missiles are seen in the sky over the Israeli coastal city of Netanya amid a new wave of Iranian missile attacks. (AFP)

 

The Israeli army said it detected the Iranian regime moving its headquarters to mobile trucks and confirmed that a number of them were destroyed. It also mentioned targeting sites used for ballistic missile storage and observation points in Tehran, adding, “We are deepening our targeting of the key systems of the Iranian regime and its pillars.”

 

The Israeli military also announced that the air force carried out a new round of large‑scale airstrikes on Tehran, saying this wave — the third today — targeted dozens of sites belonging to the Iranian regime.

 

 

The Iranian capital experienced a new wave of attacks, resulting in a series of powerful explosions.

Moreover, The Washington Post cited unnamed American officials saying that the Department of Defense (Pentagon) is preparing for a potential ground operation in Iran, which may aim to occupy Kharg Island.

The newspaper reported that the planned operation could last up to two months and would not constitute a full-scale invasion, potentially being limited to joint strikes by special operations forces and infantry units.

 

 

Among the potential objectives of the operation, according to press reports, is taking control of Kharg Island, through which up to 90 % of Iran’s oil exports are handled — a position that also gives Tehran leverage over shipping in and out of the Strait of Hormuz.

 

 

The operation also aims to destroy Iranian weapons along the coast, which President Donald Trump previously claimed had been completely eliminated.

The newspaper highlighted the risks American soldiers could face during the operation, while White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt stated that the Pentagon is presenting options to the president and that these preparations do not indicate a decision has been made.

On another front, Iran renewed its rocket and missile attacks on Israel this morning, with air‑raid sirens sounding in several areas as the Israeli army announced detecting a rocket attack targeting Dimona and Beersheba. 

 

 

On another front, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard threatened to target Israeli and American universities in the Gulf region in response to an attack on Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran on Saturday.

 

 

The Revolutionary Guard stated, in a message published by Iranian media, that “if the American government does not want these universities in the region to be exposed to retaliatory actions, it must officially condemn the bombing of universities in a statement by Monday, March 30, at noon.”

 

 

The Revolutionary Guard advised that “employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region stay at least one kilometer away” from any universities that might be targeted."

 

Tasnim News Agency confirmed yesterday, Saturday, that airstrikes targeted the Iran University of Science and Technology. Videos circulated showing scenes of destruction and debris inside the university amid large plumes of smoke. 

Tags
Iran ، Israel ، America ، Tehran ، Kharg Island ، Gulf