The prospect of a ground war with Iran is no longer off the table, according to Donald Trump. The president refused to rule out sending American troops into Iranian territory. This is an escalation in rhetoric as U.S. strikes continue to pound the country’s coastal infrastructure.
Donald Trump tells Fox News he would consider ground action as U.S. strikes
Speaking with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, Donald Trump acknowledged that a ground campaign in Iran could become necessary. “Sometimes you need a ground campaign,” the president said, before adding, “but we have other people who will do the ground campaign for us.” The remark left unclear whether he was referring to allied forces or proxy militias operating in the region.
The president confirmed that U.S. forces have already struck Kharg Island multiple times. “We already hit Kharg Island, as you know, twice, uh, even three times,” Trump said. He claimed he gave explicit instructions to avoid damaging oil infrastructure. “I said, ‘Hit everything but the oil. Just leave that little area from 25 yards out. Don’t touch the oil.’ Because I don’t want that, in terms of the world economy, it’s a chunk of the world economy.”
When pressed on whether the U.S. might attempt to seize Kharg Island, a critical hub for Iranian oil exports, Trump declined to answer directly, stating that doing so “would be foolish.”
Yingst went on to ask whether Trump’s stated military objectives — enforcing nuclear compliance, degrading Iran’s military capabilities, and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open — could be achieved through air power alone. Trump responded, “I think they are completed now, honestly. If we left right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild.”
Yet, the military action shows no sign of stopping. On the same day, the U.S. Navy reinstated a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. So when asked whether the war with Iran had officially resumed, Trump sidestepped the question. “You could define it any way you want,” he stated.
The president went further, stating that U.S. strikes would target civilian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges — actions that are prohibited under international law. Trump gave no timeline for ending the campaign.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
