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Report: Trump 'showed serious interest' in sending ground forces to Iran

On March 7, 2026, Ynetnews, the English-language site of the Israeli news organization Ynet, published Report: Trump 'showed serious interest' in sending ground forces to Iran. The page metadata credits Daniel Edelson, in New York. The item summarizes an NBC report that President Donald Trump had talked privately about putting a limited American force on the ground in Iran. An American family should care because "ground forces" means their own soldiers inside another country. This page also carries a White House denial, and it says no order was given.

Background for new readers: On 28 February 2026 the United States and Israel began a joint air war on Iran. The Pentagon calls its part Operation Epic Fury; Israel calls its part Operation Roaring Lion. It came eight months after a shorter war in June 2025, when US bombers hit Iran's nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The question running through this section is whether the air war turns into American soldiers fighting on Iranian soil. This article is filed under Pentagon Ground Plans 2026; the full article index lists every article on this shelf.

Evidence rating: MODERATE. The rating covers NBC's report, summarized by Ynetnews, that President Trump "showed serious interest" in a limited US ground force in Iran "for specific strategic purposes," sourced to two US officials, a former official, and another person in the discussions. The White House disputed the sourcing and said the President "always, wisely keeps all options open."

What the article says​

Ynetnews says NBC reported the interest, citing three American sources and one other person involved in the discussions. It says Trump discussed deploying forces with aides and with Republicans outside the White House while describing the "day after" the war with Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump "showed serious interest" in deploying ground forces in Iran, NBC reported, citing three American sources and one other source involved in the discussions.

Ynetnews, March 7, 2026. Ynetnews adds that NBC said Trump was not considering a broad ground invasion, only a more limited force "for specific strategic purposes." It says that in the private discussions, no decision was made and no directive is known. Ynetnews says White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt denied the report. It does not quote her denial.

The NBC story, opened for this page, is dated March 6, 2026. NBC says two U.S. officials, a former U.S. official, and another person described the conversations. NBC says the talk was about a small contingent for specific strategic purposes, not a large-scale invasion, and that the sources said Trump had not made any decisions or given any orders related to ground troops. NBC spells the press secretary's name Karoline Leavitt, not Caroline.

This story is based on assumptions from anonymous sources who are not part of the President's national security team and are clearly not read into these discussions.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, as quoted by NBC News, March 6, 2026. NBC quotes the rest of that statement: Trump "always, wisely keeps all options open," but anyone trying to insinuate he favors one option or another "proves they have no real seat at the table."

NBC says that, in public, Trump had not ruled out "boots on the ground," meaning soldiers physically in Iran, but that in an NBC interview he suggested he was not seriously considering a ground invasion at that time. NBC says Leavitt had said ground troops remained an option but were "not part of the plan for this operation time." NBC also quotes Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi telling the network, "We are waiting for them." That is his claim about Iranian readiness.

What other reporting adds​

Trump's own answer to NBC. In a phone interview with NBC that same week, as the Palestine Chronicle reported it, "the president said sending ground troops to Iran would be a waste of time" (as quoted by @half_witt on X; research capture: twitter/t50__v590.md). A pro-Trump commentator summarized it the next day: "Trump publicly called the idea of ground troops in Iran a 'waste of time' right now, saying they've 'lost everything' already (NBC interview, March 6)." (@voyagerr2 on X, 7 March 2026; research capture: twitter/t50__v599.md).

And the next day, on Air Force One. "Could there be? Possibly, for a very good reason. Have to be a very good reason." (PolitiFact, 9 March 2026; research capture: twitter/t48__v574.md).

Iran's side. Araghchi's "We are waiting for them," quoted by NBC, was echoed by an Iranian ambassador three weeks later: "Let them come, we are ready. They won't be able to attack us & flee like they do in fighter jets. We welcome them" (Osint613 on X, 31 March 2026; research capture: twitter/t49__v577.md).

What it shows​

One week into the war, an Israeli outlet reported that the President was privately discussing American soldiers on the ground in Iran for "the day after." The White House attacked the sources, not the substance, and kept "all options open." Within days Trump said "Could there be? Possibly, for a very good reason," and within two weeks CBS reported detailed Pentagon preparations for ground forces in Iran. The "limited force for specific purposes" became the Kharg Island and uranium raid plans. See Pentagon Ground Plans 2026 and Kharg Island and the Uranium Raid.

Check it yourself​

Last Updated: 2026-09-26

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