President Trump on Thursday denied plans to deploy additional U.S. troops to support operations in Iran, telling reporters he is not sending forces “anywhere.”
“No, I’m not putting troops anywhere,” Trump said at the White House when asked whether he intends to increase the U.S. military presence in the Middle East.
“If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you,” he added, before saying the U.S. “will do whatever’s necessary to keep the price” of oil down.
His comments come after a Reuters report that the Trump administration is considering sending thousands of additional troops to the region. According to the report, officials are weighing options that include using U.S. air and naval forces to secure safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic waterway has effectively been closed by Iran since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Feb. 28.
Officials have also discussed the possibility of deploying ground forces to Iran’s Kharg Island, which contains an oil depot responsible for roughly 90 percent of the country’s exports. Another option under consideration is securing Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.
However, sources told Reuters that a ground deployment inside Iran is not considered imminent.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military continues its extensive bombing campaign targeting Iran’s navy, missile and drone stockpiles, and defense industry. The Pentagon says more than 7,800 strikes have been carried out since the war began.
U.S. forces have also hit more than 90 targets on Kharg Island, though energy infrastructure has so far been left intact. Any move to seize the island would likely require American troops on the ground, raising the risk of further escalation and U.S. casualties.
According to the Pentagon, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed in the conflict, and more than 200 have been injured, including 10 with severe wounds.
