US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did not rule out the possibility of deploying American troops on the ground in Iran, stating that “we will go as far as we need to.”
He stressed that there are no US troops in Iran, adding that it would be “foolish” to say exactly what the United States is planning.
“We are not going to get into the exercise of what we will or will not do. I think it has long been a mistake for this department, presidents, or others to tell the American people and our enemies, ‘by the way, here is exactly what we’re going to do… here’s what we are willing to do and not do.’ That’s foolish.
So President Trump makes sure our enemies understand that we will go as far as necessary to advance American interests. But we are not stupid about it. You don’t have to send 200,000 troops there and stay for 20 years. We have proven that you can achieve objectives that advance American interests without being foolish about it,” he said.
