US Preparing Contingency Plan for Ground Invasion of Iran Through Iraq
The U.S. has reportedly prepared a contingency plan for a ground invasion of Iran through Iraq, prompting serious security concerns from Baghdad officials regarding regional stability.
The United States has prepared a contingency plan for a potential ground invasion of Iran utilizing Iraqi territory, according to regional media reports citing senior officials in Baghdad. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has reportedly expressed deep concern over the scenario during closed-door discussions after reviewing American military reports detailing a large-scale ground operation against Iran.
According to the reports, Baghdad fears that a renewal of regional warfare would prompt pro-Iranian militias in Iraq to intervene on Tehran's behalf, providing Washington with a pretext to deploy troops across Iraqi soil. The intelligence and operational assessments reviewed by Iraqi officials do not focus solely on airstrikes and missile strikes against strategic targets in Iran, but explicitly outline the possibility of a sweeping ground offensive.
Under the primary scenario detailed in the documents, U.S. forces would advance through Iraqi territory—particularly via southern corridors—to invade Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province, which borders Iraq's Basra Governorate. Khuzestan holds immense strategic value as the center of Iran's major oil reserves.
An alternative scenario outlined in the assessments involves potential preemptive attacks or retaliatory measures by Iranian forces and allied Shia militias. Officials warn that pro-Iranian factions could attempt to invade a neighboring Gulf state, such as Kuwait, through Iraqi territory to alter the regional balance of power and pressure U.S. interests.
Amid mounting security anxieties, Prime Minister al-Zaidi warned in closed meetings that any military faction attempting to unilaterally drag Iraq into the confrontation or utilizing the country's territory to target U.S. forces will face immediate prosecution. He emphasized that the government is prepared to arrest faction leaders and declare a state of emergency to prevent such escalations.
