US troops brace for ‘hit-and-run’ guerilla attacks as 82nd Airborne deploys to Iran, military analyst warns

Iran could importantly summation U.S. casualties if its elite subject and proxy forces displacement to guerrilla-style hit-and-run attacks successful nan region, a starring subject expert has warned.

Michael Eisenstadt of nan Washington Institute for Near East Policy said arsenic nan Pentagon moved elements of nan Army’s 82nd Airborne Division into nan Middle East amid a caller escalation successful nan conflict, according to reports.

"Iran has ample infantry units successful its subject that are balanced to nan brigade combat squad of nan 82nd Airborne," Eisenstadt, a erstwhile U.S. Army Reserve officer, told Fox News Digital.

"The 82nd Force is excessively mini to origin important harm to Iran, but it is ample capable to beryllium susceptible to Iranian strikes, and this would alteration Iran to importantly summation U.S. casualties," he said.

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The 82nd Airborne Division deployment to nan Middle East is intended to unit Iran into accepting U.S. ceasefire terms, subject expert Michael Eisenstadt says. (Sarah Blake Morgan/AP Photo)

Eisenstadt, who has worked arsenic a U.S. authorities subject analyst, claimed that, moreover if awesome accepted operations statesman to upwind down successful nan Middle East region, nan threat whitethorn only germinate alternatively than disappear.

"We could spot an extremity to awesome combat operations, pinch activity shifting to guerrilla-style hit-and-run attacks successful the Gulf and different gray-zone activities by Iran," he said.

"Think of nan aftermath of nan 1991 Gulf War pinch Iraq, successful which we had to incorporate nan Iraqis for a decade aft a very successful war."

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Naval units from Iran and Russia simulate nan rescue of a hijacked alloy during associated drills, Feb. 19, astatine nan Port of Bandar Abbas successful Hormozgan, Iran. (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Fox News main nationalist information analogous Jennifer Griffin reported Wednesday that nan U.S. has ordered nan deployment of an further 82nd Airborne forces to nan region.

The contingent is expected to see Maj. Gen. Brandon R. Tegtmeier, nan section commander, elements of his office staff, and infantry battalions from nan division’s Immediate Response Force. 

Officials besides indicated that nan full number of troops yet sent could still change.

Eisenstadt said this caller deployment is intended to summation unit connected Tehran arsenic nan U.S. pushes for caller ceasefire terms, group successful spot by President Donald Trump.

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President Donald Trump speaks pinch nan media earlier boarding Air Force One, Monday, astatine Palm Beach International Airport successful West Palm Beach, Fla. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

"This deployment is intended to create leverage complete Iran and unit it to judge U.S. position for a ceasefire agreement. It would besides create subject options if Iran rejects those terms," he said.

In that scenario, he said, nan 82nd could perchance run alongside Marine expeditionary units successful operations to prehend and clasp terrain, including Kharg Island, located astir 20 miles disconnected Iran’s Gulf coast.

U.S. forces struck subject targets location March 13, destroying much than 90 Iranian subject sites while deliberately sparing cardinal lipid infrastructure, according to aggregate reports.

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Satellite position of Kharg Island, located successful nan Persian Gulf disconnected nan seashore of Iran.  (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2024)

"The brigade combat squad of nan 82nd could activity pinch nan 11th and 31st MEUs, aliases independently, to prehend and clasp terrain — specified arsenic Kharg Island," Eisenstadt said.

"This would supply leverage complete Iran by denying it nan expertise to export lipid and helping extremity nan warfare connected position favorable to nan U.S."

"There are risks progressive though, because Iranian units connected nan mainland could bombard Kharg Island and inflict casualties connected U.S. troops location also," Eisenstadt said.

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President Donald Trump warned connected Saturday that nan U.S. could onslaught Iranian powerfulness plants if nan Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. (Aaron Schwartz/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025 via Getty Images)

The latest subject buildup comes arsenic nan conflict that began pinch Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, has besides centered connected nan Strait of Hormuz, pinch Iran restricting access.

"The 82nd deployment is intended to summation psychological unit connected Iran and support efforts to reopen nan Strait of Hormuz truthful it tin erstwhile again beryllium utilized by each countries," Eisenstadt explained.

The 82nd Airborne is 1 of nan U.S. military’s premier rapid-response units, trained to parachute into dispute aliases contested territory to unafraid cardinal crushed and airfields.

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Portions of nan section person besides spent caller days astatine nan Joint Readiness Training Center, sharpening infiltration, surveillance, combat and resupply skills, Axios reported.

"Iranian subject officials person welcomed news of nan dispatch of these units to nan Gulf because it perchance creates options for them to enforce costs connected nan U.S.," Eisenstadt said.