Iran can ‘survive’ air strikes but not ‘resist’ US ground forces, analyst says

Kenneth Katzman, a senior fellow at the Soufan Center, told Al Jazeera that the US military buildup in the Gulf is likely to expand further, with additional troops—including Marines and paratroopers—positioned to support a limited ground offensive against Iran if Tehran continues to refuse free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. He argued that while US air strikes have achieved significant damage, they have clear limitations; a ground offensive, even a small-scale operation targeting strategic islands or key ports such as Kharg and Qeshm Islands or Bandar Abbas, could trigger a broader collapse of the Iranian regime. Katzman suggested that Iran would struggle to resist US ground forces, noting that Tehran has "survived" air strikes but failed to protect its own targets or shoot down US aircraft. He added that capturing Iranian territory would force a major shift in Tehran's strategic calculations and could destabilise the regime, particularly if local populations rise up as they did in January. Katzman concluded that a ground offensive—even a limited one—could dramatically alter the conflict's trajectory in a way that air power alone cannot achieve. Subscribe to our channel: bit.ly
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