Israel Reluctant to Join if US Launches Ground Attack on Iran

WASHINGTON — Amid the US-Israeli aerial invasion of Iran, US President Donald Trump has opened the option of conducting a ground attack. Nevertheless, Israeli media outlet Channel 12 reports that the Israeli military will not participate in any ground operation launched by the United States against Iranian territory. If Washington decides to deploy infantry troops, “Israeli soldiers will not take part in the field,” as quoted by Middle East Monitor on Wednesday (1/4/2026). Israel’s position comes as the Pentagon is reportedly refining options for a limited ground attack, including the seizure of Kharg Island, Iran’s vital oil export hub. However, Israel’s decision to let American troops fight alone on the ground has triggered strong reactions from the public and observers in Washington. Sharp criticism is flowing from anti-war groups and supporters of the “America First” policy. They assess that Washington is being pushed into a highly expensive and high-risk ground conflict, while the party seen as most benefiting from this war is reluctant to risk its soldiers’ lives on the front lines. A security expert from the University of Chicago, Professor Robert Pape, has warned that this situation resembles the early pattern of the Vietnam War. “Vietnam’s history precisely shows when an air war turns into a ground war. The next ten days will determine whether the US will fall into the same hole,” he stated. Concerns are emerging that if this war ends badly, it will accelerate the collapse of US military dominance in the region. In such a scenario, Israel risks being viewed no longer as a strategic asset, but as the main driver of a conflict that drags its greatest ally into an unwinnable war.