As the shadow of a potential American ground operation looms over southern Iran, the Islamic Republic is actively rehearsing scenarios that include a daring counter-invasion of Kuwait to seize U.S. military bases, according to Iranian officials and analysts cited in state media and regional reporting.
The discussions, which have intensified in recent days, center on Khuzestan province, Iran’s oil-rich southwestern region, as a likely target of any U.S. ground effort. With its vast petroleum infrastructure, restive Arab population and flat terrain suited to American armored and air-mobile forces, Khuzestan has long figured in hypothetical U.S. war plans as a high-value, limited-objective prize.
Iranian strategists now appear to be mirroring that logic. Prominent analyst Mahdi Khanalizadeh and former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, a sitting parliamentarian, have publicly floated the idea of a ground and helicopter-borne assault into Kuwait if Washington seizes Iranian territory, such as Kharg Island or parts of Khuzestan. The goal, they suggested, would be to overrun bases including Camp Buehring, Camp Arifjan or Ali Al Salem Air Base and potentially take American personnel hostage.
“If the Americans knew what unforgettable lessons the leader has in store for them, they would flee without hesitation,” said Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, in comments that underscored Tehran’s escalatory rhetoric.
A Region on Edge
The threats come amid the 10th consecutive night of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian targets, part of a campaign that has targeted coastal defenses, logistics routes and missile infrastructure around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded with waves of drones and missiles aimed at American facilities across the Gulf, including multiple strikes on U.S. positions in Kuwait.
Kuwait, which hosts thousands of U.S. troops and serves as a critical logistical hub, has already intercepted Iranian projectiles on several occasions. Its government has condemned the attacks as violations of sovereignty, while quietly bracing for further escalation.
U.S. military planners have reportedly examined options ranging from special operations raids on Kharg Island to broader efforts to secure segments of Iran’s southern coast. While a full-scale invasion of Iran remains highly improbable given the country’s size and defensive depth, a limited operation in Khuzestan — leveraging air superiority, Marine amphibious capabilities and long-range strike assets — has been discussed in some analytical circles as a potential “zone of control” that could cripple Iran’s oil exports and force negotiations.
Decades of Planning, New Urgency
Iran has drilled for a U.S. or Israeli ground incursion for years, particularly in the south. The Revolutionary Guard has reinforced positions in Khuzestan and along the Persian Gulf, while the regular army maintains armored units in the province. Yet Iranian officials acknowledge that any American move would likely begin with overwhelming air and naval dominance, making a pure ground defense extremely difficult.
The current round of fighting, which has already claimed American lives and disrupted Gulf shipping, has pushed both sides closer to direct confrontation than at any point in decades. Tehran insists it will treat any seizure of its soil as justification for striking U.S. “territory” in the Gulf. Washington, for its part, has not ruled out ground options if Iran continues to threaten commercial shipping and regional bases.
For now, the talk of a Kuwait incursion remains in the realm of signaling and contingency planning. But in a conflict already marked by rapid escalation, such warnings carry the risk of becoming self-fulfilling. As one Iranian lawmaker put it: “We are waiting.
