(SeaPRwire) –   A leading military analyst has warned that Iran could notably increase U.S. casualties if its elite military and proxy forces switch to guerrilla-style hit-and-run attacks in the region.

Reports state that Michael Eisenstadt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy made these comments as the Pentagon moved elements of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division into the Middle East amid a new escalation of the conflict.

“Iran’s military has large infantry units that match the brigade combat team of the 82nd Airborne,” Eisenstadt, a former U.S. Army Reserve officer, told Digital.

“The 82nd Force is too small to cause major harm to Iran, yet large enough to be vulnerable to Iranian strikes, which would allow Iran to significantly raise U.S. casualties,” he said.

Eisenstadt, who has served as a U.S. government military analyst, claimed that even if major conventional operations start to wind down in the Middle East, the danger may not vanish but instead evolve.

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

“Consider the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War with Iraq, where we had to contain the Iraqis for a decade after a highly successful war.”

Chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported on 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 noted that the total number of troops ultimately deployed could still change.

Eisenstadt stated that this new deployment aims to increase pressure on Tehran as the U.S. pushes for new ceasefire terms established by President Donald Trump.

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

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

Multiple reports indicate that U.S. forces struck military targets there on March 13, destroying over 90 Iranian military sites while intentionally sparing key oil infrastructure.

“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 help end the war on terms favorable to the U.S.”

“However, there are risks, as Iranian units on the mainland could bombard Kharg Island and cause casualties among U.S. troops there,” Eisenstadt said.

The latest military buildup comes as the conflict, which began with Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, has also focused 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 be used by all countries once more,” Eisenstadt explained.

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

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

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