US officials told Reuters that President Donald Trump’s administration is considering sending thousands more troops to the Middle East as the military prepares for the next phase of the campaign against Iran. With the war nearing its third week, Trump is weighing an expansion of the conflict and has not ruled out a ground operation.
Reinforcing US forces would broaden Trump’s military options. Among them is escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz — a mission expected to rely mostly on naval and air forces, but one that could also require deploying troops along Iran’s coastline.
Footage from the strikes on the 'oil island'
The administration is also discussing the possibility of sending ground forces to Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, through which about 90% of Iran’s oil exports pass. One official told Reuters such a deployment would be highly risky, given Iran’s ability to target the island with missiles and drones.
The United States struck military targets on Kharg Island on March 13, and Trump has threatened to target its critical oil infrastructure. Given the island’s central role in Iran’s economy, military experts say seizing control of it may be preferable to destroying it.
Any use of US ground forces — even for a limited mission — would pose a significant political risk for Trump, amid broad public opposition in the United States to a war with Iran. Congressional midterm elections later this year are widely seen as a referendum on the president’s performance, with Republicans seeking to maintain their majority.
Officials have also discussed deploying US troops inside Iran to secure its enriched uranium stockpiles. Sources said such a move is not imminent and declined to discuss operational details. Experts say safeguarding Iran’s uranium reserves would be an extremely complex and dangerous mission, even for elite US special forces.
“There has been no decision to send ground troops at this time, but President Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal,” a White House official said.
“The president is focused on achieving all of the defined objectives of Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran's ballistic missile capacity, annihilate their navy, ensure their terrorist proxies cannot destabilize the region, and guarantee that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” the official added.
So far, without deploying ground troops inside Iran, 13 US service members have been killed in the conflict and about 200 wounded, most with minor injuries, according to the military.
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Trump salutes at ceremony receiving coffins of Americans killed in the war
(Photo: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
For years, Trump criticized previous administrations for engaging in overseas wars and pledged to avoid such conflicts. Nevertheless, he launched the current campaign against Iran and has recently declined to rule out sending ground troops. A senior White House official told Reuters that Trump is considering several options regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles but has not yet made a decision.
Sources said discussions about reinforcing US forces go beyond the expected arrival next week of an amphibious ready group carrying more than 2,000 Marines. One official noted, however, that US forces in the region are being strained following the decision to send the aircraft carrier USS Ford to Greece for maintenance after a fire broke out onboard.
Trump has also recently questioned whether the United States should take responsibility for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. After initially suggesting the US Navy could escort vessels, he called on other countries to assist in securing the strategic waterway, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Allies have expressed reservations, and Trump on Wednesday raised the possibility that the United States could abandon the effort.
“I wonder what would happen if we 'finished off' what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social.