Iran is strengthening its defenses and mobilizing civilians, including children, in the face of the possibility of a US ground operation on its territory.
According to a report from Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Tehran has tightened protection around its largest oil export port, Kharg Island, while threatening to expand attacks on strategic targets in the Persian Gulf if American troops land in the region.
The move comes amid the deployment of thousands of US Marines and airborne troops to the Middle East, expanding Washington’s range of military options.
According to analysts interviewed by the WSJ, the Iranian regime is preparing a high-cost defense for an invader, combining missiles, drones and asymmetric warfare tactics.
Among the measures reported are the reinforcement of guided missile systems, the installation of mines on the coast and traps in critical installations.
The Revolutionary Guard would also have fortified tunnels available on strategic islands, from where it could launch swarms of drones and portable anti-aircraft missiles against US and Israeli forces.
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The newspaper highlights that Tehran also threatens to spread the conflict, increasing the political and economic cost of an offensive.
Iranian and Arab officials cited by the WSJ say that if its islands are invaded, Iran could begin attacking offshore oil platforms and vital infrastructure in Gulf countries, such as power plants and desalination plants.
This would add to the current de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has already compromised the flow of oil and gas from the region and raised tension in global energy markets.
On the domestic front, the government launched a mass mobilization campaign, evoking the atmosphere of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
According to the WSJ, Tehran has started the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice”) program to recruit volunteers against American forces, while the Revolutionary Guard claims to be calling on young people aged 12 and over for support roles, such as cooking, medical care and controlling checkpoints.
Vehicles linked to the regime speak of millions of subscribers, although human rights organizations have already reported cases of minors killed at checkpoints.
