Kamal Ghorui
The Pentagon has reportedly planned for a potential deployment of US ground forces into Iran. Multiple sources cited by CBS News claim that the federal department made detailed preparations for deploying ground forces.Senior military commanders have submitted specific requests to enable such an option, as Washington evaluates its next steps in the US-Israel-led conflict with Tehran. The CBS Sources said Trump has been considering whether to position ground troops in the region, though the conditions under which he might authorise their use remain unclear.However, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump dismissed the idea of an imminent deployment, saying, “No, I’m not putting troops anywhere,” before adding, “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”There is no official statement from US Central Command, White House or the Pentagon.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did however say that preparations were routine and did not indicate a decision had been made. “It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality, it does not mean the President has made a decision, and as the President said in the Oval Office yesterday, he is not planning to send ground troops anywhere at this time.”Military planners have also discussed contingencies for detaining Iranian soldiers and paramilitary fighters in the event of a ground operation, including potential locations for holding them, sources said.As part of broader preparations, the US is reportedly moving to deploy elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, alongside the Army’s Global Response Force and Marine Corps expeditionary units, to the Middle East. Thousands of Marines are already being repositioned, with three warships and about 2,200 personnel departing California earlier this week.
