Will US put boots on the ground in Iran? Trump official won't rule it out
India Today
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that there are currently no American forces deployed inside Iran, but he deliberately refused to rule out the possibility as the conflict escalates.
The US-Israeli war with Iran is expanding, and Washington is signalling it wants maximum freedom of action. Air and naval strikes lead the fight for now, but the Pentagon is leaving open the most consequential escalation: sending US troops onto Iranian soil.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that there are currently no American forces deployed inside Iran, but he deliberately refused to rule out the possibility as the conflict escalates.
Reporter: Are there currently any American boots on the ground in Iran?Hegseth: No, but we're not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do. President Trump ensures that our enemies understand we'll go as far as we need to go to advance American interests. pic.twitter.com/lWfNossAZS— Acyn (@Acyn) March 2, 2026
Asked directly whether US troops were on the ground, Hegseth told reporters: "No but we're not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do." He added: "President Trump ensures that our enemies understand we'll go as far as we need to go to advance American interests."
Pentagon Chief's remarks signal that while Washington is relying on air and naval power for now, military options remain open as Iran continues missile and drone attacks across the Middle East region and US military bases.
He also clarified that the campaign was not intended to change Iran politically or to occupy the country militarily, and ruled out setting a timeline for the operation. "No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise. No politically correct wars. We fight to win and we don't waste time or lives," he said.
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