Fact Check: Did the US and Israel launch ground operations in Iran?
TEHRAN, IRAN: As the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, a photo has been circulating on social media platforms, claiming to show ground operations in Iran by the United States and Israeli forces. The claim has sparked speculations and concerns about the war spreading in the region. Let us analyze the photo and fact-check the viral claim.
Claim: United States and Israel launched ground operations in Iran
The photo shows a number of tactical vehicles at a military facility, with several soldiers standing among the vehicles.
“The U.S. and Israeli militaries have occupied Iran. Several combat vehicles have been deployed to Iran,” reads the text in the photo.
Different versions of the claim have spread on other social media spaces such as X and Instagram, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, with many commenting under the post appearing to believe the claim to be true.
Fact Check: False, photo is not related to the ongoing conflict
However, both the image and the claim are false. A reverse image search for the photo reveals that it was part of a US military exercise in South Korea as part of a joint US-South Korean combat exercise called Operation Pacific Fortitude.
The original video shows tanks being operated during the exercise, including the deployment of military helicopters.
The US Central Command website and the US Air Force website have also uploaded the video.
As of this writing, the joint operation by the US and Israel against Iran has only involved the deployment of missiles and drones, and neither the United States nor Israel has launched any ground operations in Iran.
There is also no official confirmation about the deployment of ground troops in the near future.
United States expands military presence in the Middle East
As the conflict with Iran enters its fourth week, the Pentagon has ordered a second major deployment of US Marines to the Middle East within days, expanding the American military footprint.
The San Diego-based USS Boxer, carrying the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), was redirected on Friday, March 20, from a planned Indo-Pacific mission toward waters near Iran, according to US officials.
This move follows the earlier deployment of the USS Tripoli and the 31st MEU, which was recently tracked transiting the Strait of Malacca and is expected to reach the region by the end of March.
Trump has simultaneously pushed for increased troop numbers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while criticizing NATO allies for not contributing forces to the effort.
