Why does the US need boots on the ground?
The US and Israel need to cut the Iranian weapons supply chain and halt the ability of Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks if it wants to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Manuel Mogato writes.
Manuel Mogato | March 31, 2026
MANILA — As the conflict in the Middle East enters its fifth week and with no end in sight, the United States has to send in ground troops along Iran’s shorelines and mountain ranges near the Persian Gulf to take control of the vital chokepoint that disrupted the flow of oil and gas to the world.
About a fifth of the world’s energy resources, or roughly 20 million barrels of fuel, pass through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has closed, threatening commercial vessels with missile and drone attacks.
Although the United States had obliterated the Iranian Navy, the body of water between Iran and its neighbors, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, remained dangerous due to naval mines, smaller fast boats, and mini submarines.
Several oil and gas tankers had been hit while attempting to exit the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Some were ordered to turn back, while a few had been allowed to navigate the strait. (Also read: How long will Iran hold the world hostage in the Strait of Hormuz?)
One fully-manned Filipino crew vessel was allowed to pass through after it requested permission from Tehran because it was carrying Iranian exports.
Another vessel loaded with fertilizer bound for the Philippines was allowed to pass through the strait, but three Chinese-flagged vessels filled with energy resources were not allowed to pass through.
With 97 percent of the vessel traffic held up in the strait, the global price of petroleum products rose, and the flow of supplies was disrupted.
The United States and Israel did not prepare for Iran’s asymmetrical warfare, which shut down the Strait of Hormuz, holding the world hostage, as Tehran demanded millions of dollars from vessels to pass through.
US President Donald Trump has miscalculated the Iranian response, hoping the war would be swift, similar to the attack in Venezuela. He was wrong, just like Vladimir Putin’s calculations in Ukraine.
Washington and Jerusalem may have achieved their goal to decapitate Iran, killing the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and 40 other top clerics and military leaders.
They also destroyed Iran’s air force, navy, and most of its missile production, storage, and launch sites as well as command-and-control bases.
They also hit bases for ground troops, but failed to obliterate all the ballistic missile launch sites and drone factories that continue to threaten Israel and US allies in the Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq.
The Strait of Hormuz became the biggest headache. If the United States focused on clearing Iranian forces threatening international shipping in the narrow passage would need more resources and impeccable intelligence on the ground to hunt down drone factories and hidden bunkers on mountain ranges and coastal areas.
The US, which controls the air, has to deploy surveillance planes 24/7 to monitor, detect, and track down missile and drone launches and direct land-based interceptors, destroyers, and aircraft to shoot down missiles and drones.
The US and Israel need to cut the Iranian weapons supply chain and halt the ability of Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks if it wants to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The US ground troops — the US Marines and the 82nd Airborne paratroopers — will play a critical role in degrading Iran’s ability to fight back by destroying hidden bunkers, underground missile sites, and factories producing drones.
Washington must be prepared to commit more aircraft, vessels, and ground troops for the mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, without disrupting original operations to destroy Iran’s defense and military infrastructures.
But it is also prepared to lose a substantial amount of military equipment and personnel in a limited ground war. It is not a full-scale invasion, as was seen in Iraq and Afghanistan decades ago.
Perhaps the US would need allies on the ground, but it could not rely on European and Indo-Pacific allies to join the ground war.
A small group of Kurdish rebels along Iran’s western borders with Iraq could be relied on, but the US must be prepared to provide them with the necessary weapons to confront the fanatical and well-equipped Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Saudi Arabia, which initially did not allow the US to use its air bases to launch air strikes into Iran, has now allowed its bases to be a launching pad for US offensives after Iran hit targets in Riyadh and other areas.
The US should also convince the Arabs, who came under attack but never retaliated, to join the war by sending tanks, aircraft, and troops and fight side by side with the Americans.
The biggest test for the Americans was the Iranians’ will to fight and defend Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
For most Iranians, who supported the Islamist clerics, they are waging a “holy war” or jihad to defend their religion after the US and Israel launched surprise attacks during Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, some of his loyal and top clerics, and military leaders.
A ground war is inevitable. The US must commit thousands of boots on the ground to swiftly destroy Iran’s ability to retaliate, but it will not be that easy.
The Middle East conflict will likely drag on for weeks, and maybe months. The US has to send ground troops to end the war.
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