Trump says ground troops not necessary now but refuses to rule out Iran deployment
President Donald Trump said Sunday he does not consider it necessary to deploy ground troops to Iran at this stage but refused to rule out the option. "I don't think it's necessary, but I don't rule anything out," he told ABC News, consistent with his long-held position of keeping military options open.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he did not consider it necessary to deploy ground troops to Iran at this stage, but he refused to rule it out. "I don't think it's necessary, but I don't rule anything out," he told ABC News. Speaking separately to The Hill, Trump said he is not ruling out sending ground troops if Iran fails to reach a deal with Washington.
Consistent stance
The remarks are consistent with a position Trump has maintained throughout the campaign. Early on, he told the New York Post he did not "have the yips with respect to boots on the ground." The White House later said ground troops were not part of the current plan but that Trump "wisely keeps his options on the table."
Deal speculation
Trump's comments come amid speculation about a possible announcement on Iran, with the president posting "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time" on Truth Social without elaboration. Trump has claimed a deal with Tehran could be reached by Tuesday, though Iran has not responded.
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Conflict context
The US-Israeli strikes against Iran began Feb. 28 and have reportedly killed at least 1,340 people according to Iranian authorities, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. The conflict has expanded to Lebanon, where over 1,300 have been killed since March 2.
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