NEW: Trump . On The Chance Of Floor Troops Being Deployed In Iran
President Donald Trump is refusing to rule out the possibility of deploying U.S. ground forces in Iran as the ongoing military operation against the regime enters its second week.
The question of ground troops comes amid ongoing airstrikes that have significantly degraded Iran’s military capabilities, though Tehran continues to launch retaliatory attacks. The conflict, dubbed Operation Epic Fury by the U.S. and Operation Lion’s Roar by Israel, began on February 28, 2026, with coordinated strikes aimed at destroying Iran’s military infrastructure and prompting regime change.
Administration officials have stated that Tehran continued to enrich uranium and threatened to build upwards of 11 nuclear weapons, which prompted the military action. President Trump has stated that completely eliminating Iran’s nuclear program is a stated goal of the operation.
While speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump was asked about the possibility of deploying ground troops as part of the operation. After emphasizing the success of current aerial operations, Trump did not rule out boots on the ground in the future. “I would say if we ever did that, they would be so decimated that they wouldn’t be able to fight at the ground level,” he said.
“We’ll find out about that…. And at some point maybe we will. It would be a great thing but right now we’re just decimating them but we haven’t gone after it,” the president added.
Trump also addressed the possibility of Kurdish forces from Iran and Iraq being used as part of a ground operation in the country’s northwest, which boasts a significant Kurdish population. Rumors of a ground offensive being launched surfaced last week, though Kurdish officials in both countries denied involvement.
“I have ruled that out. I don’t want the Kurds going in. I don’t want to see the Kurds get hurt and killed,” Trump told reporters when asked about the rumors.
Reporter: Under what circumstances would you send in ground troops? How are you thinking about that?
Trump: I don’t even want to talk about it. I don’t think it’s an appropriate question, and I’m not going to answer it.
Could there be a very good reason? There would have to be… pic.twitter.com/MI4KHTdVU2
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 7, 2026
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made similar comments while speaking with Fox News on Sunday morning. “They’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time,” Leavitt said on the possibility of ground troops.
“But I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president,” she added, emphasizing that the possibility remains “on the table.”
According to a report from Axios, which cites four sources familiar with the matter, U.S. and Israeli officials have discussed the possibility of deploying special forces personnel in order to secure Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium. Such an operation would occur at a later stage of the conflict, the sources said, and would possibly include inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
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