US reportedly braces for ‘weeks of ground operations’ in Iran

Several photos circulated by open-source intelligence analysts online appear to show a “total loss” of an E-3G “Sentry” Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Aircraft in an Iranian ballistic missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

“The strike appears to have purposefully targeted the most important part of the E-3, that being the rear of the aircraft which holds its rotating radar dome, containing several sensitive instruments including antennas for the E-3’s AN/APY-2 Surveillance Radar System,” OSINTdefender wrote in a post on X.

The Pentagon has yet to officially confirm the scale of the damage from the reported attack, but US media previously reported that at least 12 US servicemembers were injured and “several” refueler aircraft damaged in the strike.

The Department of War is also deploying a third aircraft carrier group to the US Central Command’s area of responsibility to potentially join combat operations against Iran, according to recet US media reports.

The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier group completed training earlier this month that certifies its readiness for major combat operations, CBS News reported on Friday. CNN added that it is unclear if the Bush will join or replace either of the two US aircraft carriers already in the region.

Two carrier strike groups – led by the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln – spearheaded the US attack on Iran last month, until the Ford suffered an alleged “non-combat” fire aboard and retreated for repairs to a naval port in Souda Bay in Crete.

Three guided missile destroyers assigned to the Bush group – USS Ross, USS Donald Cook and USS Mason – have all reportedly departed their home ports to join Operation Epic Fury earlier this week.

The Israeli Home Front Command has once again instructed residents to seek shelter, three hours after permitting everyone to leave protected spaces. 

“Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the IDF said after detecting the second wave of missiles from Iran overnight.

In the meantime, another US amphibious ready group – comprising the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock, and the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland – is also reportedly moving to the region.

The vessels departed San Diego in mid-March, with their deployment reportedly accelerated by three weeks. The group is equipped with F-35B fighter jets, helicopters, and landing craft, as well as at least 2,500 Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Earlier on Saturday, the US Central Command announced that the USS Tripoli, along with the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group/31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, had arrived in its “area of responsibility.” 

The deployment includes around 3,500 US sailors and Marines. The amphibious assault ship serves as the group’s flagship and is equipped with transport and strike aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and other tactical assets.

The US Department of War is drafting plans for weeks of potential ground operations in Iran, according to US officials who spoke with the Washington Post on condition of anonymity.

READ MORE: US not ready to put boots on ground in Iran – ex-Indian spy chief

Any ground mission would fall short of a full-scale invasion, officials have insisted, instead involving raids by Special Operations forces and conventional infantry troops. They described the prospective timeline as lasting “weeks, not months.”

Potential objectives could include the seizure of Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub, or raids into coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz to destroy weapons capable of targeting commercial and military shipping.

President Donald Trump has yet to approve any of the Pentagon’s plans. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it is the Pentagon’s role to make preparations to provide the commander in chief with “maximum optionality.”

Air defense systems across the Gulf region have been activated as several countries reported intercepting missiles and drones in the early hours of Sunday.

In Kuwait, authorities confirmed that air defenses were responding to an incoming missile and drone attack, a day after the country’s airport was struck by multiple drones, resulting in significant damage to its radar system.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported that sirens had been activated and urged citizens and residents to remain calm and proceed to the nearest shelter.

Earlier, the Dubai Media Office also said air defenses intercepted projectiles, causing loud sounds heard across parts of the city.

Aluminium Bahrain has confirmed that its facility was damaged and two employees sustained minor injuries in an Iranian attack on Saturday. The company said it is currently assessing the extent of the damage while focusing on maintaining operational resilience and the safety of its workforce, according to a statement carried by the Bahrain News Agency.

Earlier, Iranian state media listed Alba among several regional industrial sites targeted by Iranian forces in retaliation for Israeli strikes on two Iranian steel plants.

Tehran promised an “eye for an eye” response against any attacks, and vowed to destroy all US and Israeli-linked oil and gas facilities should US President Donald Trump deliver on his threat to erase Iran’s energy infrastructure.

Trump repeatedly walked back his threat, citing alleged “talks,” and repeatedly shifted the deadline, most recently extending it by another 10 days to April 6.

The IRGC set a deadline of 12:00pm Tehran time on Monday, March 30, for the United States to issue an official condemnation of the strikes on Iranian universities – including the latest strikes on the Isfahan University of Technology and the University of Science and Technology in Tehran.

The statement warned that if Washington fails to do so, two yet-to-be-named universities will be struck in retaliation. The corps advised all staff, faculty, students, and residents within a one-kilometer radius of any US or Israeli-linked universities to evacuate the area to ensure their safety.

The IRGC further cautioned that if the US wants to prevent additional retaliatory strikes beyond those two, it must stop Israel from attacking Iranian universities and research centers. “Otherwise, the threat remains valid and will be carried out,” the statement added.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared American and Israeli universities in the Middle East legitimate targets in retaliation for continued attacks on Iranian academic institutions, according to a statement published by the IRGC’s public relations office.

The warning, labeled as Notification No. 50, comes after what the IRGC described as repeated US-Israeli bombings of Iranian universities, including the latest strikes on Tehran’s University of Science and Technology.

“The reckless rulers of the White House should know that from now on, all universities of the occupying regime and American universities in the West Asia region are legitimate targets for us until two universities are struck in retaliation for the Iranian universities that have been destroyed,” the IRGC said.