President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he will not send American troops to Iran, when he was asked about the information published by the Reuters agency, according to which his administration is considering sending thousands of American soldiers to the Middle East, reports CNN, quoted by News.ro.
“No, I'm not sending troops anywhere. If I did, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not sending troops,” Trump said Thursday, in the Oval Office, on the occasion of receiving Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Although a White House official told CNN on Thursday that “no decision has been made regarding sending ground troops at this time,” he reiterated that Trump is “wisely keeping all options open.”
CNN reported that a Marine expeditionary unit has been sent to the Middle East, but it is unclear if or when the US will send ground troops.
It is not the first time that the American president expresses himself on this subject, but even in this case he is inconsistent, notes Agerpres. Thus, in a statement on March 2, two days after starting the war, Trump stated that he would not hesitate to send American troops to the ground in Iran “if necessary.”
In another discussion with the media on Tuesday, he was asked if he fears a new Vietnam, should he eventually decide on ground operations against Iran. “I'm not afraid of anything,” he claimed in his answer.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration is considering deploying thousands of US troops to bolster operations against Iran, citing three US officials familiar with the matter.
Despite the decimation of Iran's political and military leadership following the American-Israeli bombings, the regime in Tehran continues its drone and missile retaliation against Israel and American interests in the area and shows no signs of losing power to make way for a pro-American regime, contrary to the expectations expressed by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Under these conditions, no end to the war is in sight and the idea of a land intervention is increasingly being discussed, possibly in a limited operation to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
