Multiple US news outlets, citing sources, are reporting that President Donald Trump is considering sending thousands of additional US ground troops to bolster operations in the Middle East, a move that would give Trump additional options in the war against Iran.
The reports come as Trump himself on March 19 denied he was about to deploy more troops to the region, although he appeared to keep the door open.
"I'm not putting troops anywhere," he told reporters. "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you. But I'm not putting troops. We will do whatever is necessary."
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters: "There has been no decision to send ground troops at this time, but President Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal."
"The president is focused on achieving all of the defined objectives of Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran's ballistic missile capacity, annihilate their navy, ensure their terrorist proxies cannot destabilize the region, and guarantee that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon."
The Pentagon declined to comment.
Protecting Tankers, Seizing Kharg
Still, the reports persisted. Reuters, citing four sources, including two US officials, said additional troops would give Trump additional options, including the means to safeguard passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
Such an operation would be carried out mainly by air and naval forces, the sources said, but it would also require deploying US troops to Iran's shoreline.
The US administration has also considered the possibility of deploying ground forces to Iran's Kharg Island, the hub for 90 percent of Iran's oil exports, Reuters said, citing three people familiar with the matter and three US officials.
One of the officials said such an operation would be quite risky, given that Iran has the ability to strike the island with missiles and drones.
US forces carried out strikes against military targets on the island on March 13. At the time, Trump said he wiped out all military assets on the island and spared energy infrastructure.
But he threatened to also strike the oil infrastructure, in what would be a massive blow to the Iranian economy but would also likely send already soaring oil prices even higher.
Accelerated Deployment
Newsmax, meanwhile, reported that the US military has already accelerated deployment of thousands of Marines and sailors to potentially help reinforce its forces fighting against Iran.
Citing three officials speaking on condition of anonymity, Newsmax reported that the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit were deploying ahead of schedule from the West Coast of the United States.
Newsmax reported there are 2,500 Marines in the deployment, bringing the total to about 4,000 service members aboard three amphibious vessels. They house F-35 fighter jets, missiles, and amphibious vehicles capable of launching from ships for a land assault.
The administration has discussed the possibility of deploying US forces to secure Iran's stocks of highly enriched uranium, one of the people familiar with the matter said told Reuters.
Politico also reported that the Pentagon is considering sending more troops to the Middle East.
Citing two people familiar with the talks, it reported that the size and scope of additional deployments are still evolving.
Major Risks Involved
Sending ground forces would carry significant risk, both politically and on the ground.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on March 19 found that 65 percent of Americans believe Trump will order troops into a large-scale ground war in Iran, with just 7 percent expressing support for the idea.
Even without ground forces involved in the fighting, 13 US troops have been killed so far in the war, with about 200 injured, the US military said, although many of the injuries have been minor.
Democrats in Congress would be certain to oppose the idea of deploying additional of ground troops to the war theater, and even many in Trump's Republican Party have expressed opposition to further "boots on the ground."
News media sources said the discussions on US reinforcements would be in addition to an Amphibious Ready Group, due to arrive next week in the Middle East an attached Marine Expeditionary Unit of more than 2,000 Marines.
Netanyahu: US, Israel 'Winning'
Meanwhile, Iran fired a volley of missiles toward Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and the United States were "winning" the war against Iran after nearly three weeks of air strikes.
"We are taking action to destroy the industries that make it possible to build missiles. Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium and manufacture ballistic missiles," the Israeli leader said.
"We are winning and Iran is being decimated."
Netanyahu also rejected the idea that he had dragged Trump into the conflict as some US critics have suggested.
"Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?" Netanyahu told reporters.
"He didn't need any convincing," he added.
AFP journalists reported hearing several loud explosions over Jerusalem early on March 20, as air raid sirens blared out across the city amid incoming Iranian missiles.
Israel's military said it identified three rounds of missile fire in the 90 minutes before midnight. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Elsewhere, the US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said an "F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional US airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran."
"The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation," spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said.
