Cecilia Lei

troops arrived in the region over the weekend.

The Washington Post reports that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran as it awaits President Trump's orders.

Quoting anonymous official sources, the Post suggested the plans fall short of a full-scale invasion but involve raids by special operations and conventional forces.

The administration has stressed that no decision has been made, and last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that objectives could be met without any ground troops.

Idris Ali is a national security correspondent for Reuters.

He told us that thousands more troops have arrived in the Middle East, and that's a number that could get even bigger very soon.

Ali reports that there's now more than 50,000 troops in the region.

This buildup hasn't gone unnoticed.

On Sunday, hours after the Post's reporting, Iran's parliament speaker accused the U.S.

of secretly planning a ground attack.

While the buildup escalates on the ground, in the air, missiles continue to fly in both directions.

Trump has claimed Tehran has, quote, very few rockets left.

But Ali said that among the people he's speaking to, there's a lot less certainty.

Ali reports another third of Iran's missiles are either incapacitated or in underground tunnels and bunkers that can't be reached.

And while missile and drone attacks on neighboring countries are much lower than last month's peak, Iran has still delivered a steady stream of aerial attacks and continues to pose a serious threat to the Gulf.

Over the weekend, Gulf nations like Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain all reported strikes.

And Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen entered the war for the first time, launching missiles toward Israel and claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Ali says the Houthis could also inflict further economic pain, especially if they target a vital shipping route in the Red Sea.

At the same time, nearby regional powers gathered in Pakistan to discuss how to mediate an end to the conflict.

The Pakistani foreign minister declared they were ready to host the warring nations, but direct talks have yet to take place, and a potential summit still looks a long ways away.