As U.S. Weighs Putting Troops in Iran, Realities on Ground Keep Israeli Boots Closer to Home

With the US preparing options for a potential ground operation in Iran, Israel is unlikely to contribute manpower to the effort — a prospect that has drawn criticism among the American public but, experts say, reflects strategic calculations and operational realities.

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“Much like during Operation Desert Storm, during which Israel did not participate in ground operations in Iraq despite sustaining Scud missile fire from Iraq, it is unlikely that, should there be any US ground operations against Iran, the IDF would participate overtly,” Blaise Misztal, vice president for policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, told The Times of Israel.

According to Misztal, while parallels can be drawn to the 1991 Gulf War, the rationale this time is different — reflecting how the region has evolved.

“In 1991, the United States asked Israel to stay out of the war in order to avoid discord with its Arab coalition partners,” Misztal noted. “This time around, that is not a concern.”

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Misztal said the presence of Iran-backed groups on Israel’s borders means Israeli forces are needed closer to home “to continue defending against Iranian proxies, however degraded they might be.”

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Still, Misztal did not rule out some level of Israeli involvement on Iranian soil.

“While Israel’s ground forces are likely to remain close to home, that does not mean that Israeli special forces might not participate in covert activities in Iran, either in support of or together with their US counterparts,” he said.

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