US President Donald Trump has privately discussed the possibility of deploying small contingents of American ground troops in Iran, according to a report in the American media.
NBC News, citing two US officials, a former US official and a person familiar with the discussions, reported that Trump has expressed serious interest in deploying US forces on the ground inside Iran during private conversations.
The discussions, however, have not centred on a large-scale invasion but on sending small units of American troops to carry out specific strategic missions.
According to the report, Trump raised the idea with aides and Republican officials outside the White House while outlining his vision for Iran after the current war ends.
That vision, sources told NBC News, includes securing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and working with a new Iranian government on oil production in a model similar to the emerging relationship between Washington and Venezuela.
The sources said the president has not yet made any decision or issued orders regarding the deployment of ground troops.
“The president’s comments expressing serious interest in deploying ground troops have not focused on a large-scale ground invasion of Iran, but rather on the idea of a small contingent of US troops that would be used for specific strategic purposes,” the sources told NBC News.
The White House rejected the report’s implications, saying it relied on speculation from people outside the administration’s inner security circle.
“This story is based on assumptions from anonymous sources who are not part of the President’s national security team and are clearly not read into these discussions,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“President Trump always, wisely keeps all options open, but anyone trying to insinuate he is in favour of one option or another proves they have no real seat at the table,” she added.
Trump has publicly left open the possibility of deploying US ground forces in Iran, although the war so far has consisted primarily of an air campaign.
In comments earlier this week, the president told the New York Post he would not rule out sending American troops if necessary.
“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground,” Trump said. “I say ‘probably don’t need them’, [or] ‘if they were necessary'”.
Trump has also suggested that he expects to play a role in determining Iran’s future leadership.
According to remarks cited widely in the American media, the US president said he believes he should personally participate in choosing Iran’s new leader, echoing what he said happened in Venezuela.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is not a heavyweight,” Trump said in comments reported by Axios, referring to Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has been mentioned in intelligence reports as a possible successor.
“I have to participate in the appointment, just as happened with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump added, referring to the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the assumption of power by his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.
Trump has also encouraged Iranian Kurdish groups in Iraq to attack Iran. Responding to the possibility of Kurdish forces entering Iranian territory, he told Reuters on Thursday: “I think it’s great that they want to do that, and I fully support them.”
US officials have not confirmed any imminent deployment of American ground forces, and the administration has not announced any operational plans for troops inside Iran.
