USA to attempt ground war in Iran. Iran destroys infrastructure of Gulf States assisting US.
Sat 12:09 pm +00:00, 18 Jul 2026 Meryl Nass
Jul 17 · Meryl’s CHAOS letter (Critical Health Analysis and OpinionS)
The MSM have been very quiet on what we are doing to Iran and what Iran is doing to the rest of the Middle East over the past 6 days of aggressive bombings.
Civilian infrastructure has been hit badly (war crimes) but the damage hints at a plan to invade with ground troops. Make of this dangerous situation what you will.
Last Night’s Escalation
Mark Wauck
Jul 17
Last night saw Trump escalate the attacks on Iran by attacking Iranian infrastructure. In particular, a major bridge that linked the Hormuz coastal region to the inland city of Shiraz was destroyed, but there have been other such attacks on food and water facilities in recent days. In total, perhaps 5-6 bridges were attacked last night. Iran has promised to respond in kind against the Arab countries that have facilitated US attacks or joined in the attacks. Last night Iran made good on that promise. There are reports of from Kuwait and Bahrain of power and desalination plants being hit. Here is a summary of the US attacks:
Arya Yadegaar @AryJeayBackup
…
The US begun its desperate madness attacks & Trump greenlighted warcrimes.
A total of 5-6 bridges in Hormozgan province were targeted:
• The Griveh bridge, connecting Bandar Abbas, Khmeir, and Lar.
• The bridge after the village of Latidan (Kalmatli), on the return route from Bandar Abbas, Khmeir, and Lar.
• 2 bridges on the route to Kahorstan, Lar
• The unfinished bridge, connecting Bandar Khmeir, Keshvar, and Bandar Abbas.
• The bridge in the village of Maro, in the Khmeir county.
• Chabahar maritime tower was targeted (again) and destroyed by the US
• A railway station, west of Bandar Abbas
• Civilian airport in Iranshahr, southeastern Iran
For me, perhaps the most serious aspect of the US attacks last night is the possibility that it represented an effort to prepare for some sort of ground invasion of Iran, to seize the land around the Strait of Hormuz. The idea would be that, by cutting off road access to the area over major bridges and via railways, Iranian military forces in the Hormuz region would also be cut off from resupply and/or reinforcement. This is obviously a recipe for a prolonged—even indefinite—shutoff of the flow of critical energy and other resources from the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world. This looks more and more like a deliberate strategy. But the ability of Iran to control Hormuz extends far beyond the immediate coastal regions that Trump might attempt to seize.
Prof Pape has consistently stressed the psychological dimensions that Trump is bringing into play. In the days before the Trump’s sneak attack, Iran was determined to win by simply surviving. They accomplished that goal in much better shape than they had expected. Now, in the face of Trump’s continued aggression, Iranians are calling for revenge. All of Trump’s actions and words are fueling that call. It’s all very foolish.
Prof Pape has for weeks been predicting that Trump would launch a ground invasion. I have resisted that conclusion, partly because I regard such an operation as logistically unsustainable. The continued Iranian destruction of US military facilities in the region reinforces that view, but the direction of US attacks appears to point toward Prof Pape’s conclusion:
Robert A. Pape @ProfessorPape
1h
Many now realize some kind of US ground operation is likely, esp with US strikes “shaping” the battlefield on Iran’s coast
Are we at the point of no return?
Read my new Breaking Analysis on Escalation Trap Substack and find out
Breaking Analysis #4: The Point of No Return? How Last Night’s U.S. Strikes Deepened the Escalation Trap
Last evening, U.S. Central Command conducted multiple waves of airstrikes against Iran, targeting key bridges, railway junctures, and power lines connecting key cities, particularly in the Hormozgan province and around the major port city of Bandar Abbas. These strikes significantly raise the risks vertical and horizontal escalation that would intensify and widen the Iran war by attacks against infrastructure targets in Gulf states with US bases and further encouraging the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb oil gateway. Risks are accelerating while global energy inventories continue running down.
Iran is ready for this:
Brandon Weichert @WeTheBrandon
There’s an off-ramp for this war. But the White House won’t take it. Because we’re led by idiots and grifters.
Jack Prandelli @jackprandelli
Iran has told the Houthis to close the Red Sea gateway specifically if the US strikes Iranian power infrastructure.
That is the direct trigger tying back to Trump’s own statement about hitting Iran’s power plants next week.
Houthis have already deployed missiles and drones near Bab el-Mandeb and are awaiting the order.
IRGC officers already in Yemen control the timing.
Saudi Arabia routes 70% of its energy exports through the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb closing at the same time would leave the region’s 2 main oil export routes both cut off simultaneously.
Image
This will have dire economic consequences.
Now, regarding the Iranian retaliatory strikes that I still believe will seriously hamper and ground incursion into Iran, here’s what went down last night.
DD Geopolitics @DD_Geopolitics
9h
 IRAN COMPLETELY OBLITERATED THE PATRIOT SYSTEM IN ERBIL, IRAQI KURDISTAN.
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BREAKING: Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) was hit by missiles.
BAPCO operates Bahrain’s strategic refinery complex, capable of processing approximately 400,000-405,000 barrels of crude oil per day following its recent expansion.
Oil and gas are the backbone of Bahrain’s economy, accounting for the vast majority of government revenues, while roughly 95% of the refinery’s products are exported. The facility is one of the Kingdom’s most strategically important pieces of infrastructure.
Bahrain imports most of the crude it refines from Saudi Arabia through a dedicated pipeline, making BAPCO not only vital to Bahrain’s economy, but an important node in Gulf energy supply chains.
Note in this next excerpt the Iranian claim to have targeted the US special forces base at al Tanf in Syria. Officially, that base was evacuated some months ago, but the claim is that it was still being used clandestinely by the US in order to train terrorist proxy groups.
Arya Yadegaar @AryJeayBackup
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The IRGC says it targeted:
 (Surprise attack) A covert special operations center in the Al-Tanf military base, killing several US soldiers and hitting a radar system & several helicopters, in Syria
 Missile detection & surveillance radar (possibly AN/MPQ-65) at a US base in Kuwait
 Several weapon depots, 2 HIMARS missile launchers, ATACMS ballistic missile storage
 Maritime surveillance radar at the Salama Rocks (Quoin Islands in the Strait of Hormoz), in Oman
 US air-surveillance radar deployed in Oman’s Ghanam area
 Fighter jets (F-35, F-15, and F-16) & refueller aircrafts in two-phases with ballistic missiles & drones. IRGC says several fighter jets & refueller aircrafts were destroyed & several sustained damage, at the Muwaffaq al Salti AB, Jordan
/ IRGC ground forces carried out a rapid drone-and-missile operation against against several positions housing US forces & mercenaries under US & Israeli command (does not specify exact location, but statement began with describing attacks against HIMARS in Kuwait—it’s possible it’s re: Erbil, Iraq)
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IRGC announcing the attack on Jordan, additionally said that following attacks last year on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the US military moved its command centre & transferred the headquarters of CENTCOM from Qatar to Muwaffaq al Salti in Jordan
VANESSA – Syrian Turkish proxies to attack into Lebanon? Trump assured Turkey and Al Qaeda (Jolani) they have the green light to attack Lebanon at the NATO summit. Framing the action as attacking Hezbollah in defence of the Lebanese State. Israel needs a ground force to take the ground in northern Lebanon where Hezollah manufactures its weapons in underground bases. Syrian government troops based in Iraq about 70,000 might attempt to help Hezbollah. Jolani would probably shy away from invading Lebanon – similar numbers 70,000. British watchtowers were erected three years ago along the border.
Hezbollah might number about 100,000. Yet massive numbers of supporters are coming in from sympathetic countries, stood down at the moment, but available. Syria is controlled by mercenaries who will do anything for money, including selling weapons to Hezbollah! Iran could well attack into Syria. The US has been building up in Damascus and the area near Jordan, where Iran has been hitting.
