Analyst warns US against ground operation in Iran as conflict escalates

A Georgian analyst has warned that a United States ground operation in Iran could significantly worsen the conflict, arguing that the situation would be far more complex than previous wars in the Middle East.

Nika Chitadze on Monday said Washington should take into account the experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan and avoid launching a large-scale ground campaign.

“Despite the fact that the United States and Israel have a significant military advantage - more than 60% of Iran’s air defence and anti-missile systems have been destroyed, as well as more than 60% of its ballistic missiles, and more than 40 Iranian officials have been eliminated - there is still a risk that the conflict could escalate further,” he said.

Chitadze argued that military action focused on air strikes would be more effective than a ground invasion, stressing that “Iran is not Iraq”.

He pointed to the example of Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks, when the United States and the United Kingdom removed the Taliban government within weeks but remained in the country for about 20 years.

The analyst said the Iranian regime should be removed through sustained air strikes rather than a ground campaign, adding that targeting the country’s political leadership would be more effective.

The comments come amid a sharp escalation in the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.

On 28 February, Israel and the United States launched major strikes against Iran, which resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

In retaliation, Iranian forces carried out attacks against Israel and several countries in the Middle East, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Azerbaijan. A British military base in Cyprus was also targeted.

On 5 March, Israel said it was entering the next phase of the war against Iran, with its military planning intensified air strikes on underground facilities where Tehran is believed to store ballistic missiles.

A day later, Western media reported that Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran about the locations of US military facilities.

On 7 March, US president Donald Trump said Iran would face a “very serious strike” from the United States and Israel on the night of 8 March.

Fighting between the sides is continuing.