Boots on the ground

The Trump administration is considering deploying thousands of ground troops to the Middle East, Reuters reported, citing a US official and three people familiar with the planning. Options include reinforcing the regional presence, but also more aggressive scenarios: sending ground forces to Kharg Island, through which 90% of Iran's oil exports flow, and securing Iran's stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.

Trump denied it today: "No, I'm not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not putting troops." A White House official said "there has been no decision to send ground troops at this time, but President Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal".

Sources said they do not believe a deployment is imminent, but the discussion alone marks a threshold. Taking Kharg would be an amphibious operation against an island Iran can reach with missiles and drones. Securing enriched uranium would require special operations forces on Iranian soil, which experts describe as "highly complex and risky." There are roughly 50,000 US troops in the Middle East. Several Republican senators had said they would back the air war but that ground troops would be going too far. Trump campaigned on not dragging America into new wars. The war is 20 days old and a ground invasion is already being discussed.