White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday said that President Donald Trump does not plan to send ground troops to Iran at this time.
U.S. military action against Iran involved a barrage of airstrikes that started on Saturday. The objective is to prevent the Iranian regime from becoming a nuclear threat by eliminating its leaders and prompting a regime change in the region.
During a press conference, reporters repeatedly pressed her on whether the administration might send “boots on the ground.”
"They're not part of the plan for this operation at this time, but I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the President of the United States or the Commander-in-Chief,” Leavitt replied. “And he wisely does not do the same for himself. I know there's many leaders in the past who like to take options off of the table without having a full understanding how things could develop.”
🚨 JUST IN: Karoline Leavitt confirms US troops on the ground in Iran are NOT part of the plan for Operation Epic Fury. The mission is being carried out through air and naval power while President Trump keeps every option on the table if the situation changes. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/3S86OVSjm2
— ⁿᵉʷˢ Barron Trump 🇺🇸 (@BarronTNews_) March 4, 2026
Leavitt’s comments came after the Senate rejected a war powers resolution that would have limited the president’s ability to continue the offensive without congressional approval.
While boots on the ground aren’t part of the administration’s plans at this time, President Trump has signaled that he might make such a move if the situation requires it. He told the New York Post that he would send troops “if they are necessary.”
Earlier this week, Trump told CNN that “We haven’t even started hitting them hard” and "The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.”
1. https://t.co/AewKoec9N2
— Standup For Equality For ALL (@22_yod) March 5, 2026
Trump says he'll put US boots on the ground in Iran 'if necessary' as he warns next 'big wave' is near! 'I don’t have the YIPS with respect to boots on the ground - like every president says, "There will be no boots on the ground." I don’t say it,'
The fight over Operation Epic Fury has intensified on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) warned that the conflict could require more than just air and naval operations and that “this is going to make the operations in Libya look like child’s play,” Fox News reported.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who voted against the war powers resolution, said “committing ground troops would be something I think would require immediate congressional authorization, but that doesn’t appear to be on the immediate horizon.”
Meanwhile, the Pentagon noted that the military campaign is already ramping up even without soldiers in the region. They have struck almost 2,000 targets inside Iran and helped to evacuate over 17,500 Americans from the region since the start of the operation.