Trump secretly reviewing possibility of deploying US troops to Iran: sources

Washington: Informed American sources have revealed that President Donald Trump has shown serious interest in the possibility of deploying US ground troops within Iran during private meetings. According to NBC News, current and former US officials and a person familiar with the discussions said that Donald Trump has discussed the idea with his aides and some Republican officials outside the White House.

The discussion is part of his concept for a post-war phase in Iran, which includes ensuring the protection of Iranian uranium and establishing cooperation between the US and a new Iranian administration in the oil production sector, similar to the cooperation established between Washington and Venezuela. Sources clarified that the goal of these discussions was not to launch a large-scale ground attack on Iran, but rather to focus on deploying a small US force for specific strategic objectives. However, Donald Trump has not yet made a formal decision to send ground troops.

On the other hand, White House spokesperson Carolyn Leavitt denied the accuracy of the report, saying that the story is based on assumptions from unknown sources who are not part of the national security team. She added that Donald Trump always keeps all options open and that anyone who suggests the president is prioritizing a particular approach is not part of the decision-making process.

Trump has not publicly ruled out the possibility of deploying ground troops in Iran, although military operations have so far been limited to air campaigns. Private conversations suggest that the president may be more open to considering this option than his public speeches suggest, while observers have warned that such a deployment could widen the scope of the war.

According to sources, Donald Trump presented his aides with a model similar to the situation in Venezuela after the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro in January. Washington supported the presidency of Delsi Rodriguez there on the condition that she would implement policies in line with US interests, including benefiting the US from oil production. Experts believe that US forces in Iran could be used under specific circumstances, such as taking action against targets that are invulnerable to air bombing or monitoring uranium reserves.