Trump has privately shown serious interest in US ground troops in Iran

Trump has privately expressed serious interest in deploying U.S. troops on the ground inside Iran.

According to two current U.S. officials, one former U.S. official and another person with knowledge of the conversations, Trump has discussed the idea with senior aides and Republican officials outside the White House.

The discussions have focused on deploying a limited contingent of American forces for specific strategic purposes rather than launching a large-scale ground invasion. Trump has described his preferred post-war outcome for Iran as one in which the country’s uranium is secured and the United States cooperates with a new Iranian regime on oil production, similar to the current relationship with Venezuela following the removal of Nicolás Maduro.

Since the conflict began on Saturday, six U.S. troops have been killed and 18 wounded in Iranian counterattacks.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on the reports, saying the sources are not part of the president’s national security team and that Trump keeps all options open.

Publicly, Trump has not ruled out putting “boots on the ground.” In a recent interview he said he does not have “the yips” regarding such a decision.

Experts have outlined several scenarios where ground troops could be used, including special operations raids on high-value targets, securing nuclear sites to prevent materials from falling into the wrong hands, or establishing buffer zones.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by saying Iran is fully prepared and “waiting” for American troops, warning that any ground incursion would be a “big disaster” for the United States.

The private consideration of direct U.S. troop deployment marks a significant escalation in the administration’s planning as the war continues to intensify.