'Shooting gallery': How a US invasion of Iranian islands might unfold

'Shooting gallery': How a US invasion of Iranian islands might unfold Submitted by Sean Mathews on Fri, 03/27/2026 - 20:28 US paratroopers and Marines could establish a beachhead on Iranian islands, but history is replete with cautionary tales of such invasions Military personnel from the US 101st Airborne Division take part in a demonstration to mark 80th anniversary of the liberation of Meierijstad in the Netherlands, on 17 September 2024 (Rob Englaar/ANP/AFP) Off US Marines and paratroopers who could be sent to seize an Iranian island in the Gulf will be thrust into a “shooting gallery” with vulnerable supply lines and ill-defined strategic objectives, former US military officials and analysts tell Middle East Eye. A US invasion would start with a campaign to jam electronic equipment and radar in the area, followed by an intense bombing campaign. “The US will have to do a preparation and isolation effort first,” Seth Krummrich, the former chief of staff for US special operations in the Middle East, told MEE.