The United States government is making detailed preparations for a possible operation with ground troops in Iran, according to sources interviewed by CBS News.
According to the American broadcaster, Pentagon officials have already presented specific requests to prepare the option of sending soldiers to Iranian territory, while President Donald Trump evaluates the next steps.
Trump, however, denied that a decision had been made. Asked on Thursday (19), in the Oval Office, if he intended to send ground troops, he replied: “No, I’m not putting troops anywhere.” Then, in an ambiguous tone, he added: “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”
Contacted by CBS, the US Central Command (Centcom) forwarded the questions to the White House and the Pentagon. In a statement, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that military planning does not mean that the president has decided to use troops on the ground.
“It’s the Pentagon’s job to make preparations to give the commander in chief maximum options. That doesn’t mean the president has made a decision, and as he said in the Oval Office yesterday, he doesn’t currently plan to send ground troops anywhere,” he said.
Detention of Iranian military personnel
According to two sources heard by the broadcaster, American military personnel are also discussing how they would deal with a possible capture of Iranian soldiers or members of paramilitary forces, if Trump authorizes the deployment of troops. Among the topics under analysis is where these detainees would be sent and what the custody process would be like.
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At the same time, the US is preparing to deploy elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, one of the US Army’s main rapid response forces, to the Middle East. The planning also involves the Army’s Global Response Force and a Marine Expeditionary Unit.
According to two officials interviewed by CBS, thousands of marines are being transferred to the region. Three warships and about 2,200 Marines departed California earlier this week. It is the second expeditionary force sent since the start of the war; the first left the Pacific region and is still on its way to the Middle East.
