Michael Eisenstadt, a prominent military analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, has raised concerns about the potential shift in Iran’s military strategy. Speaking in light of the Pentagon’s decision to deploy units from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, Eisenstadt highlighted the risk of hit-and-run attacks by Iran’s elite forces and proxies.

“Iran possesses infantry units that can be likened to the brigade combat teams of the 82nd Airborne,” Eisenstadt, who once served as a U.S. Army Reserve officer, explained in an interview with Fox News Digital. He noted that while the 82nd Airborne Division alone might not inflict substantial damage on Iran, its presence makes it a potential target for Iranian strikes, thereby increasing the risk of U.S. casualties.

The deployment of the 82nd Airborne Division is part of a strategic effort to exert pressure on Iran, encouraging them to agree to U.S. ceasefire terms, according to Eisenstadt. This maneuver underscores the delicate balance of power and the precarious nature of military engagements in the region.

“The 82nd Force is too small to cause significant harm to Iran, but it is large enough to be vulnerable to Iranian strikes, and this would enable Iran to significantly increase U.S. casualties,” he said.

The 82nd Airborne Division deployment to the Middle East is intended to pressure Iran into accepting U.S. ceasefire terms, military analyst Michael Eisenstadt says. (Sarah Blake Morgan/AP Photo)

Eisenstadt, who has worked as a U.S. government military analyst, claimed that, even if major conventional operations begin to wind down in the Middle East region, the danger may only evolve rather than disappear.

“We could see an end to major combat operations, with activity shifting to guerrilla-style hit-and-run attacks in the Gulf and other gray-zone activities by Iran,” he said.

“Think of the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War with Iraq, in which we had to contain the Iraqis for a decade after a very successful war.”

Naval units from Iran and Russia simulate the rescue of a hijacked vessel during joint drills, Feb. 19, at the Port of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan, Iran. (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported Wednesday that the U.S. has ordered the deployment of additional 82nd Airborne forces to the region.

The contingent is expected to include Maj. Gen. Brandon R. Tegtmeier, the division commander, elements of his headquarters staff, and infantry battalions from the division’s Immediate Response Force. 

Officials also indicated that the total number of troops ultimately sent could still change.

Eisenstadt said this new deployment is intended to increase pressure on Tehran as the U.S. pushes for new ceasefire terms, set in place by President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump speaks with the media before boarding Air Force One, Monday, at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

“This deployment is intended to create leverage over Iran and pressure it to accept U.S. terms for a ceasefire agreement. It would also create military options if Iran rejects those terms,” he said.

In that scenario, he said, the 82nd could potentially operate alongside Marine expeditionary units in operations to seize and hold terrain, including Kharg Island, located roughly 20 miles off Iran’s Gulf coast.

U.S. forces struck military targets there March 13, destroying more than 90 Iranian military sites while deliberately sparing key oil infrastructure, according to multiple reports.

Satellite view of Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iran.  (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2024)

“The brigade combat team of the 82nd could work with the 11th and 31st MEUs, or independently, to seize and hold terrain — such as Kharg Island,” Eisenstadt said.

“This would provide leverage over Iran by denying it the ability to export oil and helping end the war on terms favorable to the U.S.”

“There are risks involved though, because Iranian units on the mainland could bombard Kharg Island and inflict casualties on U.S. troops there also,” Eisenstadt said.

President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the U.S. could strike Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. (Aaron Schwartz/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025 via Getty Images)

The latest military buildup comes as the conflict that began with Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, has also centered on the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran restricting access.

“The 82nd deployment is intended to increase psychological pressure on Iran and support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz so it can once again be used by all countries,” Eisenstadt explained.

The 82nd Airborne is one of the U.S. military’s premier rapid-response units, trained to parachute into hostile or contested territory to secure key ground and airfields.

Portions of the division have also spent recent days at the Joint Readiness Training Center, sharpening infiltration, surveillance, combat and resupply skills, Axios reported.

“Iranian military officials have welcomed news of the dispatch of these units to the Gulf because it potentially creates options for them to impose costs on the U.S.,” Eisenstadt said.