WASHINGTON — Donald Trump on Monday declined to rule out deploying US ground troops to Iran as joint US-Israeli military operations entered their third day.“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 told the New York Post, adding that he would consider sending ground forces “if they were necessary.”In separate remarks to CNN, Trump said the operation was progressing “well” but warned that more intense strikes were imminent.“We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” he said.Trump described Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as the biggest surprise of the conflict so far.The president revised his earlier claim of 48 Iranian leaders killed, increasing the figure to 49.He also said the United States was urging Iranian civilians to remain indoors for their safety and reiterated his call for Iranians to “seize this moment … and take back your country.”The US-Israeli operation began Saturday and has reportedly killed several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.Tehran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting multiple Gulf states.According to official statements and media reports, four US service members have been killed and 18 seriously wounded since the campaign began, with US officials warning that further casualties are possible.WASHINGTON — Donald Trump on Monday declined to rule out deploying US ground troops to Iran as joint US-Israeli military operations entered their third day.“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 told the New York Post, adding that he would consider sending ground forces “if they were necessary.”In separate remarks to CNN, Trump said the operation was progressing “well” but warned that more intense strikes were imminent.“We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” he said.Trump described Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as the biggest surprise of the conflict so far.The president revised his earlier claim of 48 Iranian leaders killed, increasing the figure to 49.He also said the United States was urging Iranian civilians to remain indoors for their safety and reiterated his call for Iranians to “seize this moment … and take back your country.”The US-Israeli operation began Saturday and has reportedly killed several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.Tehran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting multiple Gulf states.According to official statements and media reports, four US service members have been killed and 18 seriously wounded since the campaign began, with US officials warning that further casualties are possible.
