On Tuesday, President Donald Trump declared his readiness to send American ground forces into Iran, asserting his commitment to pursuing his objectives in the Middle East conflict.
During a discussion in the Oval Office with Micheal Martin, the Prime Minister of Ireland, Trump addressed numerous inquiries regarding the ongoing situation with Iran.
One journalist questioned, “Do you fear that deploying troops in Iran might turn into another Vietnam?”
“No,” Trump responded confidently, adding, “I’m not afraid of anything.”
While the President has indicated the potential use of ground troops if deemed “necessary,” he has not elaborated on the conditions that might lead to such a decision.
In the conversation with the Taoiseach, Trump also mentioned that the United States has considered targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure.
‘We could take out their electric capacity in one hour,’ he said, adding, ‘there’s nothing they can do.’
Though the President said the war should only last weeks, there is concern among administration officials that the offensive could last much longer.
Donald Trump with Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheal Martin on Tuesday. The President has said he is ‘not afraid’ of anything, even sending ground troops to Iran in a Vietnam War-style invasion
The President previously said that he would use troops only if ‘necessary,’ but he has not offered further details
It comes as Director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent resigned on Tuesday over frustration with the Iran war
Three sources familiar with the matter told Axios that the Middle East could run into September, a much longer timeline than Trump has ever discussed publicly.
The President was also confronted about the news that his top counterterrorism official, Joe Kent, resigned over the war.
‘I always thought he was a nice guy, but I thought he was very weak on security. Very weak on security. I didn’t know him well, but I thought he seemed like a pretty nice guy,’ Trump said.
‘But when I read his statement, I realized that it’s a good thing that he’s out, because he said Iran was not a threat.’
Kent resigned early on Tuesday and published a letter publicly noting how he ‘cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.’
‘Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,’ Kent said in his dramatic public break-up with the administration.
Evidence that the US is considering a ground invasion in Iran is mounting.
Last week, the military ordered 2,000 US Marines and their equipment, along with several Naval vessels, to be deployed to the Middle East from the South Pacific near the Philippines.
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The USS Tripoli, now headed for the Middle East, is capable of holding thousands of ground troops and dozens of aircraft to conduct amphibious assaults
The Marines and Sailors aboard the USS Tripoli and USS New Orleans, along with the supporting Navy vessels, are a part of an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) that is close to 5,000 service members in total.
The ARG’s primary objective is to land Marines in coastal environments using aircraft and landing vessels. The USS Tripoli also maintains an arsenal of aircraft, like F-35 fighter jets and attack and transport helicopters, to ferry troops and project power.
It is estimated that the ARG will arrive in the Middle East ten to 15 days from its initial deployment late last week, meaning the force should arrive near Iran at the end of this month.
Concerns about sending US troops to Iran have been rippling around Capitol Hill.
‘We seem to be on a path toward deploying American troops on the ground in Iran to accomplish any of the potential objectives here,’ Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said last week after a classified briefing from military officials.
‘So the American people deserve to know much more than this administration has told them about the cost of the war, the danger to our sons and daughters in uniform and the potential for further escalation and widening of this war,’ the Democrat added.
Americans are against sending in troops, too, according to the latest Quinnipiac survey of 1,000 US voters published March 9.
The results showed that 74 percent of respondents oppose sending ground troops into Iran. A majority, 53 percent, said they are against the war altogether.
