12 March 2026, 09:27

Military expert: Ground operation in Iran would lead to enormous losses for the USA

Aleksandr Alesin. An archive photo

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MINSK, 12 March (BelTA) – The United States is unlikely to deploy its troops for a ground operation in Iran, as such an action would result in significant losses in personnel, Aleksandr Alesin, an independent military analyst, made the statement in a recent episode of BelTA’s YouTube project On Point.

“Having learned from the bitter experience of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the United States is unlikely to send its soldiers into such a dangerous operation as the occupation of Iran. It is a large country with extremely challenging natural and climatic conditions. According to some experts, controlling Iran would require at least one million troops, who would have to be highly trained capable of operating in desert and mountainous terrain,” Aleksandr Alesin said.

The military expert also noted that, in the event of a ground invasion by the United States, large-scale guerrilla warfare would erupt in Iran. For the US Army, this would mean enormous losses in personnel. Massive casualties could seriously damage public confidence in the current administration.

“An assault on Iran is possible only from the sea and air, and such operations always involve significant losses. Moreover, Iran possesses a large number of coastal missile systems, including mobile ones, capable of destroying landing ships. The United States would face no fewer difficulties in the event of an air operation,” Aleksandr Alesin emphasized.

He drew attention to the views of several experts who believe that a full-scale occupation of Iran is not being considered. According to this view, it would be sufficient for the United States to seize the oil terminal on Kharg Island in order to paralyze Iran’s oil trade.

“Another scenario being discussed is that the United States might try to eliminate Iran’s military leadership not with missiles, but with special forces. However, as many experts note, China shares satellite intelligence with Iran. This means such an operation would not be unexpected, and therefore doomed to failure,” the expert said. “The only advantage in such operations is surprise. Since that is impossible, I believe this scenario is highly unlikely.”