WASHINGTON, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Reports of the deployment of U.S. troops to Iran are emerging, but analysts warn that such a move could cause political harm to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Pentagon is expected to send parts of the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East as the Iran conflict enters its fourth week, according to unnamed sources cited in a CBS News report released Tuesday.
A command element and some ground forces are expected to be part of the deployment, which is expected to be fewer than 1,500 troops, CBS reported.
Such a move could upset Trump's MAGA ("Make America Great Again") base - known for its disapproval of what it believes are needless foreign wars that do not improve the lives of ordinary Americans.
"Boots on the ground would be a major escalation for the United States. It would expose our troops to considerable harm and could result in injuries or fatalities. Either would be a big problem for Trump, who campaigned on ending wars and reducing American involvement around the world," Brookings Institution senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.
This comes ahead of the midterm elections, which political soothsayers believe will be difficult enough for Republicans even without a war that is unpopular with Trump's core supporters.
Indeed, experts warn that U.S. ground operations in Iran would be highly dangerous for U.S. troops, causing a high risk of significant casualties. There are many military families amid the MAGA base, and they are wary of foreign wars that would risk the lives of their loved ones.
Moreover, the war in Iran comes at a time when MAGA supporters are eagerly waiting for Trump to enact a slew of domestic policies that the president has long promised. A war involving ground troops could be a major distraction from those endeavors.
History does not bode well for Trump in the lead-up to the midterms, as the party in power usually loses seats in Congress. A flip-flopper on wars viewed as needless could harm the president in November's congressional elections, experts said.
Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua that a "big electoral handicap would come from an attack on Iranian territory, including an amphibious assault."
"The U.S. may have excellent troops and equipment, but it doesn't have practice," he added.
For Trump, it is crucial to get his base out to the polls to cast their ballots in the midterms, but U.S. troops on the ground in Iran could demoralize some of the president's supporters.
"Some who voted for Trump in 2024 will indeed stay home in November, and a continuing Iran war with combat infantry would contribute to that," Ramsay said.
Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College in the northeastern state of New Hampshire, told Xinhua: "If a significant chunk of the MAGA-identifying electorate stays home, that alone would imperil Republican chances in key races."
The United States has been constantly at war since 2001, when U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan and did not fully withdraw until two decades later. During that period, the U.S. military fought in Iraq for nine years.
Shortly after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Washington became heavily involved in the war in Ukraine, with pro-MAGA podcasters such as Tucker Carlson even describing the conflict as a "U.S. proxy war" against Russia.
Many MAGA supporters are weary of war and would like their tax dollars to be spent elsewhere.
The president has given off mixed messages about the U.S. role in the Iran conflict. "We've won this war. The war has been won," Trump said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Washington has sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the conflict, according to NBC.
Iran "responded negatively" to the U.S. proposal, the country's state media reported. ■
