Press secretary Karoline Leavitt says deployment of American forces is not part of the current strategy but remains a possibility if conditions change.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The White House said Wednesday that deploying American ground forces to Iran is not part of the current military strategy but declined to rule out the possibility as the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Tehran continues.
During a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that while ground troops are not included in the present plan for Operation Epic Fury, the administration would not eliminate the option.
“Well, they’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time, but I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States or the commander in chief,” Leavitt said.
She added that President Donald Trump does not believe in publicly limiting potential military actions during a conflict.
“And he wisely does not do the same for himself,” Leavitt said. “I know there’s many leaders in the past who like to take options off the table without having a full understanding of how things could develop.”
“So again, it’s not part of the current plan, but I’m not going to remove an option for the president that is on the table,” she continued.
The comments echoed statements Trump made earlier this week when asked about the possibility of sending U.S. troops into Iran as part of the ongoing campaign targeting the country’s military and political leadership.
“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump said. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary.’”
Trump has described the joint U.S.–Israeli operation against Iran as progressing rapidly following the opening strikes that began Saturday.
The campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury, has targeted Iranian military installations, missile infrastructure, and elements of the country’s leadership structure.
Earlier this week, Trump suggested the conflict could last “four weeks or so,” although he indicated the timeline could shorten as the operation advances.
Administration officials have repeatedly emphasized that the current military strategy centers on air and missile strikes rather than a ground invasion while maintaining that additional options remain available if the situation evolves.
Original article
Comments