Iran mobilizes its population amid ground war fears - report
Tehran mobilizes its population and military forces, hardens defenses on Kharg Island, and warns of expanded strikes against gulf targets as it fears of a potential ground operation, the report says
Iran is stepping up military defenses around its largest oil export hub and warning of attacks on a broader array of targets across the Gulf amid fears of a potential ground operation on its soil, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Friday. The measures coincide with a mass recruitment drive reminiscent of Iran’s war with Iraq in the 1980s.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliament National Security Commission, told the legislature’s news agency that Tehran is hardening defenses on Kharg Island, a key oil port. Steps include boosting guided-missile systems, laying mines along the coastline, and booby-trapping facilities. Analysts say tunnels have likely been carved into many of the islands, which Iran plans to defend with missiles and other munitions.
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have demonstrated the use of wire-guided first-person view drones, which are also possessed in greater numbers by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Analysts say these systems pose a potent threat to any U.S. or allied ground forces.
Military analysts, including the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, estimate that Iran has roughly one million active and reserve troops. Among them are approximately 190,000 motivated fighters from the Revolutionary Guard.
The recruitment campaign aims to mobilize millions of Iranians, including minors, echoing the methods used during the Iran-Iraq War. Street signs and posters honoring martyrs remain part of daily life, reflecting the government’s effort to channel historical wartime spirit into current military preparedness.
Iran’s stepped-up defenses and recruitment efforts signal its preparation for a sustained confrontation, even as US and Israeli air forces maintain dominance in the region. Analysts say the country is positioning itself to inflict maximum damage if ground operations are attempted.
The developments come amid heightened tensions across the Gulf, with Iran warning that any attack could trigger strikes on a wider set of targets, raising concerns about energy security and regional stability.