There would have to be a “very good reason” for the US to deploy ground troops to Iran, President Donald Trump says in a meeting with the press on Air Force One.
President Donald Trump announced “major combat operations” against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.
Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed by airstrikes in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His successor is yet to be named.
Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Trump rebuffs Kurdish forces, says ground troops could ‘possibly’ go into Iran
President Donald Trump said there could “possibly” be ground troops going into Iran, but “there would have to be very good reason” to send them.
“And 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 added.
Trump was strong in his opposition to the U.S. using Kurdish forces against Iran, saying “I’ve told them, I don’t want them.”
He added, “We’re not looking to the Kurds going in. We’re very friendly with the Kurds, as you know, but we don’t want to make the war any more complex than it already is. I don’t want the Kurds going in,” Trump said.