WASHINGTON: Iran has warned it would retaliate if the United States launches a ground invasion, even as President Donald Trump weighs a risky military operation to seize Tehran’s uranium and regional powers push for talks to contain the conflict, according to reports by US media.
The warning from Tehran comes amid signs of a potential escalation. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit has already “arrived in the Middle East, ” while US military planners are preparing options that could put American troops on the ground for days or longer, according to The New York Times.
At the centre of deliberations is a plan under consideration by Trump to extract nearly 1, 000 pounds of uranium from Iran — a move US officials describe as complex and dangerous. “Trump hasn’t made a decision on whether to give the order, ” officials told The Wall Street Journal, adding that the president is weighing risks to US troops against the goal of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
The operation, if approved, could involve elite special forces securing nuclear sites under fire from Iranian missiles and drones, and transporting radioactive material out of a conflict zone, experts said. “This is not a quick in and out kind of deal, ” retired Gen. Joseph Votel told the Journal.