Trump says ground troops in Iran not 'necessary,' but does not rule them out

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he did not consider it necessary to deploy ground troops to Iran at this stage, but he refused to rule it out.

"I don't think it's necessary, but I don't rule anything out," he told ABC News.

Speaking separately to The Hill, Trump said he is not ruling out sending ground troops if Iran fails to reach a deal with Washington.

The remarks are consistent with a position Trump has maintained throughout the campaign.

Early on, he told the New York Post he did not "have the yips with respect to boots on the ground."

The White House later said ground troops were not part of the current plan but that Trump "wisely keeps his options on the table."

The US-Israeli strikes against Iran began Feb. 28 and have reportedly killed at least 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.