The Trump administration is making extensive preparations for the possible use of U.S. ground troops in Iran, according to a new CBS News report, even as President Donald Trump publicly insists he is not planning to send American forces into the country.
Citing multiple sources briefed on the discussions, CBS reported that Pentagon officials have drawn up detailed plans for a potential ground deployment and that senior military commanders have submitted specific requests aimed at preparing that option as Trump weighs next steps in the U.S.-Israel-led war against Iran.
According to the report, Trump has been considering whether to position ground forces in the region, though it remains unclear under what circumstances he would authorize American troops to enter Iran.
Asked in the Oval Office on Thursday about the possibility of ground forces, Trump said: “No, I’m not putting troops anywhere,” before adding: “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to CBS that military planning does not mean a final decision has been made.
“It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality, it does not mean the President has made a decision, and as the President said in the Oval Office yesterday, he is not planning to send ground troops anywhere at this time,” she said.
CBS also reported that military officials have held meetings on how to handle the possible detention of Iranian soldiers and paramilitary operatives if Trump decides to put American boots on the ground, including where detainees would be sent.
The planning reportedly involves the Army’s Global Response Force, the Marine Corps’ Marine Expeditionary Unit and elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, which the U.S. is preparing to deploy into the broader Middle East region.
Thousands of Marines are already being moved toward the area. According to CBS, three warships and about 2,200 Marines from an expeditionary unit departed California earlier this week. It is the second such Marine unit sent since the war began. A first unit deployed from the Pacific is still on its way to the region.
The troop movements deepen signs that the Pentagon is widening the menu of military options available to Trump as the war enters its third week and the risk of a broader U.S. role continues to grow.
The new report builds on earlier indications that Washington is reinforcing its military posture across the region while publicly avoiding any firm commitment on whether it is prepared to launch a ground campaign.
For now, the administration’s public message remains that no decision has been taken. But the scale and specificity of the planning suggest that a ground option is no longer theoretical.