Trump doesn't rule out sending US troops into Iran

Restates four aims: crush missiles, sink navy, block nukes, halt arming of militants afar

President Donald Trump said on Monday he was not ruling out sending United States troops into Iran, while threatening a new "big wave" of attacks.

The 79-year-old Republican has long campaigned against decades of US military entanglements in the Middle East, but ordered a large-scale war against Iran starting on Saturday.

While so far the assault has focused on aerial attacks, Trump refused to rule out deploying ground forces.

"I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground," Trump said. "Every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it."

"I say 'probably don't need them,' [or] 'if they were necessary,'" he added.

Speaking to CNN, Trump warned of further escalation.

"We haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn't even happened," he said. "The big one is coming soon."

He reiterated four objectives: destroying Iran's missile capabilities, "annihilating the navy", preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and stopping Tehran from arming and funding militant groups abroad.

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the offices of Al-Qard al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-linked financial institution, in the southern coastal Lebanese city of Tyre on March 2, 2026. PHOTO: AFP

US and Israeli forces have struck hundreds of targets across Iran. Four US service members have been announced killed and three fighter jets shot down in friendly fire.

Iran has fired missiles at Israel, at US bases and at regional states including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump said the campaign was "substantially ahead" of schedule and could continue beyond the four-to-five-week timeframe initially projected.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also signalled that deploying troops had not been ruled out.

"We'll go as far as we need to go," he said.

Trump has previously justified the war by saying Iran was attempting to rebuild its nuclear programme and could soon have missiles able to strike the US.

But he had not previously listed four reasons, including preventing Iran from supporting regional fighter groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

US and Israeli forces have struck hundreds of targets across Iran, including missiles, naval assets and command-and-control sites.

Read More: Trump warns ‘big wave’ yet to come as US war secretary says Iran operations won't become 'endless'

He said, without providing evidence, that the threat from Iran had been imminent when he decided to order the strikes.

The attacks have assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sunk Iranian warships and hit more than 1,000 targets so far.

"This was our last best chance to strike and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime," Trump said at the White House.

Trump said the campaign was ahead of schedule and could extend beyond the initially projected four to five weeks.

"We have capability to go far longer than that," he said.

Trump said US forces had knocked out 10 Iranian ships and noted the deaths of four American service personnel.

"In their memory, we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve," he said.