With the war out of control, the US could send troops to the Middle East, but Trump denies it

US President Donald Trump denied it this Thursday. “If I did, I certainly wouldn’t tell him. But “I’m not going to deploy troops.”Trump told reporters while meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

These deployments could give Trump additional options as it weighs expanding U.S. operations, with the war against Iran now in its third week, Reuters reported Thursday, which would further entrench U.S. involvement in a foreign war, something it had vowed not to do.

US operations being considered include ensure the safe passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a mission that would be carried out mainly by air and naval forces, according to sources.

However, securing the strait could also involve the deployment of US troops to the Iranian coastaccording to four sources, including two US officials. Reuters granted the sources anonymity to discuss military planning.

According to three people familiar with the matter and three US officials, the administration Trump has also discussed the possibility of sending ground forces to the Iranian island of Kharg.nerve center of Iran’s oil exports (90% of the total).

One of the officials stated that said operation it would be very riskygiven that Iran has the ability to reach the island with missiles and drones.

The island was attacked by the United States on Saturday, but Iranian authorities later declared that exports continued normally and that no victims had been recorded.

Trump threatened new attacks on Kharg and urged his allies to deploy warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial sea lane for global energy supplies, as Tehran vowed to step up its response.

But Europe has refused to participate in a war that is not its own. London sent plans to Washington to guarantee passage through the Strait of Hormuz but based on diplomatic efforts.

Regarding Kharg Island, Trump told NBC News on Saturday: “We could attack it a few more times, just for fun“.

The United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 after a series of negotiating rounds failed to deactivate the Iranian nuclear plan and its missile program. Top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attack. Tehran responded with a massive barrage of drone and ballistic missile attacks across the Gulf and closing the Strait of Hormuz.

The war entered a new phase this week with widespread attacks to major oil and gas facilities in the region, which pushed the price of oil at more than 110 dollars the barrel.

Any use of US ground troops, even for a limited mission, could pose significant political risks for Trumpgiven the American public’s low support for the campaign against Iran and Trump’s own campaign promises to avoid involving the United States in new conflicts in the Middle East.

Trump administration officials have also discussed the possibility of deploying US forces to secure Iran’s highly enriched uranium reservesaccording to a source close to the matter.