Iran Prepares for Potential U.S. Ground Invasion Using Lessons from Iran-Iraq War

Tehran uses propaganda and guerrilla tactics to counter a possible American escalation.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 9:48pm

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An abstract, fragmented painting in bold colors depicting a chaotic, war-like scene related to the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, conveying a sense of motion, conflict, and political tension.Amid escalating tensions, Iran draws on the legacy of the Iran-Iraq War to prepare for a potential U.S. ground invasion through a propaganda campaign rooted in religious symbolism and narratives of resistance.Bloomington Today

As tensions rise between the U.S. and Iran, the Iranian regime is waging a propaganda war using motifs of religion, self-sacrifice, and glory to prepare for a potential ground invasion. Drawing on lessons from the brutal Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Iran is deploying tactics and strategies that could galvanize more Iranians to support a war against an invading American force, including those previously opposed to the regime.

Why it matters

A ground invasion of Iran by the U.S. could quickly turn into a prolonged guerrilla conflict, as Iran has learned from its past experiences of being invaded and occupied by a foreign power. The regime's use of religious imagery and references to martyrdom are designed to motivate Shiite Muslims in Iran and around the world to resist an American incursion.

The details

The Iranian regime and its supporters are circulating dozens of AI-generated videos on social media that depict scenes of Shiite warriors attacking the U.S. and defending Iranian oil facilities. These propaganda efforts draw on the legacy of the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, when Iran fought a brutal eight-year conflict against Iraq, which was backed by the U.S. and other powers. The lessons learned from that war still guide the Iranian regime and its powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps today, as they prepare for a potential ground invasion by the U.S.

  • On Sunday, President Trump vowed to strike Iran's power plants and bridges if the regime doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday night.
  • Thousands of U.S. ground forces, including Special Operations Forces, seaborne marines, and elite Army paratroopers, have arrived in the Middle East in recent days.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who has threatened to strike Iran if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Ali al-Sistani

The leading religious figure for millions of Shiite Muslims around the world.

Hussein Banai

An Iran expert and professor of international studies at Indiana University Bloomington.

Amir Moosavi

A professor at Rutgers University-Newark who specializes in the cultural history of the Middle East.

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What they’re saying

“The Iran-Iraq War 'is a vast reservoir of resilience memory from which to draw on. Iran saw 'that it could stand up to the United States, but also to other countries that are backed by American power. The narrative of that war is really what's driven a sense of purpose, especially for the Revolutionary Guard.'”

— Hussein Banai, Iran expert and professor of international studies at Indiana University Bloomington

“Those affiliated with the state know that the one thing that united everybody in post-revolutionary moments was the Iraqi invasion of Iran. The regime uses 'this language of resistance to cultivate a culture of remembrance about that conflict,' which was 'the first act of resistance that Iran had against the U.S. and its regional allies. It's an evolving language that is now being used and updated for the current conflict.”

— Amir Moosavi, Professor at Rutgers University-Newark

What’s next

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The takeaway

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