Good Friday: Will It Become the Beginning of a US Ground War in Iran? Leaks from Western Media

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TEHERAN—British newspapers are painting a worrying picture of the direction of the war in Iran, where military escalation is intertwined with political uncertainty. Cited by Al Jazeera on Wednesday (1/4/2026), this comes amid growing indications that the conflict could progress to a stage of ground intervention, with all its accompanying regional and international consequences. Under the headline: “Is Trump planning a ground invasion of Iran on Good Friday?”, the newspaper The Times places the behaviour of US President Donald Trump within a framework it calls armed uncertainty. The media notes that the stream of contradictory presidential statements—from victory announcements to threats of troop withdrawal—are not entirely random, but may rather be a tactic to buy time. The newspaper quotes sources in Washington who describe this strategy as a combination of hard threats and reassuring messages, in an effort to pressure Iran on one side, and to calm markets on the other, while military preparations on the ground continue. However, this interpretation lacks consensus, as The Economist magazine argues that the situation reflects great ambiguity and confusion, and that Trump himself is unclear about the next steps. In this regard, the magazine highlights the deployment of US troops without clarity on the ultimate objective, which strengthens concerns about the situation slipping towards a wider confrontation.