Trump expresses interest in limited US troop deployment in Iran

US President Donald Trump has privately expressed serious interest in deploying American forces on Iranian soil, NBC News reports, citing two current US officials, a former official, and a person familiar with the discussions.

Sources said Trump discussed the idea of ground troop deployment with aides and Republican officials outside the White House, outlining his vision for a post-conflict Iran where Iranian uranium would be secure, and the US would cooperate with a new Iranian regime on oil production, similar to US relations with Venezuela.

Trump’s comments, indicating serious interest in ground forces, focused not on a large-scale invasion but on the concept of a small contingent of US troops for specific strategic purposes, according to the sources.

They added that the president has not made any decisions or issued any orders regarding ground forces.

Publicly, Trump has not ruled out putting US “boots on the ground” in Iran, although the conflict has so far been limited to an air campaign.

His private discussions about the option indicate a president potentially more open to such a move than his public statements have implied. Any deployment of American troops within Iran could expand the scale and intensity of the war — and heighten risks to US forces, per NBC News.

By Jeyhun Aghazada