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 the region, a starring subject expert has warned.

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

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

"The 82nd Force is excessively tiny 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," helium said.

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The 82nd Airborne Division deployment to the 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, adjacent if large accepted operations statesman to upwind down successful the Middle East region, the information whitethorn lone germinate alternatively than disappear.

"We could spot an extremity to large combat operations, with enactment shifting to guerrilla-style hit-and-run attacks successful the Gulf and different gray-zone activities by Iran," helium said.

"Think of the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War with Iraq, successful which we had to incorporate the Iraqis for a decennary aft a precise palmy war."

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Naval units from Iran and Russia simulate the rescue of a hijacked vas during associated drills, Feb. 19, astatine the 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 the U.S. has ordered the deployment of an further 82nd Airborne forces to the region.

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

Officials besides indicated that the full fig of troops yet sent could inactive change.

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

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President Donald Trump speaks with the 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 make leverage implicit Iran and unit it to judge U.S. presumption for a ceasefire agreement. It would besides make subject options if Iran rejects those terms," helium said.

In that scenario, helium said, the 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 determination March 13, destroying much than 90 Iranian subject sites portion deliberately sparing cardinal lipid infrastructure, according to aggregate reports.

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

"The brigade combat squad of the 82nd could enactment with the 11th and 31st MEUs, oregon independently, to prehend and clasp terrain — specified arsenic Kharg Island," Eisenstadt said.

"This would supply leverage implicit Iran by denying it the quality to export lipid and helping extremity the warfare connected presumption favorable to the U.S."

"There are risks progressive though, due to the fact that Iranian units connected the mainland could bombard Kharg Island and inflict casualties connected U.S. troops determination also," Eisenstadt said.

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President Donald Trump warned connected Saturday that the U.S. could onslaught Iranian powerfulness plants if the 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 the struggle that began with Operation Epic Fury connected Feb. 28, has besides centered connected the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran restricting access.

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

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

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

"Iranian subject officials person welcomed quality of the dispatch of these units to the Gulf due to the fact that it perchance creates options for them to enforce costs connected the U.S.," Eisenstadt said.