← Boots on the Ground: TV Clips
Harward: Trump May Be Preparing Boots on Ground
Robert Harward, retired Navy vice admiral, former Navy SEAL. Fox News, July 26, 2026.
Fox News · posted 2026-07-26 · 7:25
Added to this site: September 27, 2026 · Transcribed: September 27, 2026
Original: video.foxnews.com/v/6402178891112 · IPFS QmVnoBn1BdzcuVMEEbmGgk1zUwiYzK7YPxxJpaxqmYPJ5K
Also posted as: foxnews.com/video/6402178891112
What this video shows
This Fox News segment opens with chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reporting from Tel Aviv: after almost two weeks of daily strikes, the U.S. has paused, the naval blockade of Iran stays in place, and the White House says a military option remains on the table. The anchor then brings in retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a former Navy SEAL and former deputy commander of CENTCOM (the U.S. military command for the Middle East), who two weeks earlier told Fox & Friends to "put boots on the ground" (Harward on Fox: Put Boots on the Ground).
Asked whether the U.S. has a bomb big enough to force Iran back to the table, Harward says no single bomb is the answer, and that the pause is the preparation for something bigger:
"I think the real options they may be preparing now for is boots on the ground to really show the Iranian people that we're moving to the end of this government in Iran."
He says President Trump "is preparing to go the full way on this," and that the break in strikes is to "position forces and be prepared to go to the next step of escalation." The anchor accepts the premise and asks only about the danger, since Iran is reportedly getting help from Russia and China. Harward says there is "no doubt" they are helping, and closes by saying the president has a "unique opportunity" to "establish a government in Iran" that "we cannot lose." In other words, the pause in bombing was presented to Fox viewers as the staging period for American ground troops and regime change.
Where this fits: this clip is one of the TV clips calling for American boots on the ground in Iran. For the full story, what the public was told next to what was happening, see American Soldiers on the Ground in Iran — Videos.
Transcript
Machine transcription (apple-speechanalyzer · Source duration: 00:07:25 · Transcript covers: 00:07:25 ✓ full) made with Large File Bridge on September 27, 2026. It can mishear names and words, so check exact wording against the video before quoting it.
After almost two weeks of daily strikes against Iran, the past two nights have been remarkably quiet, this is President Trump warned earlier this week, the U.S. is locked and loaded if tensions reach a tipping point. Fox News Chief, foreign correspondent Trey Yankst is live in Tel Aviv with the latest.
Trey. Yeah, hey, Peter, good morning. For now, the United States has halted strikes against Iran, as tension remains high across the Middle East. White House officials have indicated that many options remain on the table, including a military option for President Trump, as he explores solutions involving force and diplomacy.
And every once in a while, they're gonna set some things up, but they don't have much left, and by the way, they are talking to us right now. They'd love to make a deal. I don't think they're ready to. I don't think it's time yet, but I'm willing to listen, but they cannot have a nuclear weapon.
White House Communications Director Stephen Chung told Fox News digital that President Trump has always been consistent in saying he prefers a diplomatic solution, but he continues to retain all options. If Iran continues terrorist activities in the Strait of Hormuz or against allies. The U.S.
Naval blockade remains, in effect, as the economic pressure is being felt inside of Iran. The economic situation is much worse than previous years. If we take inflation into account. It may have nearly doubled.
Incomes have fallen, and the value of our currency has declined. All of this has an impact, and life has become a bit more difficult. As U.S.
and Iranian officials, say diplomatic efforts are ongoing to reach a deal that could end the current escalation, the Iran backed Hutis in Yemen are, once again, in direct conflict with Saudi Arabia, after attacking two Saudi owned oil tankers last week. The Saudis responded with heavy air strikes against the Yemen base proxy group. The Huthis then ramped up attacks on Saudi oil refineries launching new missiles over the weekend. Days ago, President Trump issued a warning to the Hootis, saying that if these attacks on vessels in the Red Sea continue, that both the Hootis and Iran would pay a military price.
There are a lot of moving parts right now in the region, but an ongoing U.S. military buildup continues to give President Trump a variety of options. moving forward.
Peter? Trey Yanks, thank you. Let's now bring in former Sentcom, Deputy Commander, and retired U.S.
Navy SEAL, Vice Admiral Robert Harwood. Uh, Admiral... President Trump is thinking of a bigger than ever attack on Iran. At the moment, The New York Times says he has decided not to do that.
Mike Waltz just said that he hasn't made a decision. But if he decides to go with this bigger than ever attack. Do we have a bomb big enough to get these guys interested in peace talks again? Well, any singular bomb isn't the answer, to the overall efforts and capabilities have, and I think the real options they may be preparing now for is boots on the ground to really show the Iranian people that we're moving to the end of this government in Iran.
I think that's what he, he's come to the realization. He tried to MOU, gave them the opportunity. They responded with aggression going after the straight. So I think the president's preparing to go the full way on this and that's why part of this break in the effort position forces and be prepared to go to the next step of escalation.
And, uh, if he does decide to put boots on the ground like you're saying, there's a real danger, because Iran is now getting help. from, apparently, from some superpowers. Even though the U.S.
has really rocked the Iranian military, they're still shooting missiles and drones and killing Americans, the war's secretary suggested that China and Russia might have their hand in this. Listen to this. And you said today that Russia and China are not helping. Earlier this week, the War Secretary takes that said that they are enabling.
So what is the difference? Well, I don't know that they're enabling. I mean, I will tell you that President She said he will not partake, and President Putin said the same thing. I, you know, I trust them.
If China and Russia aren't helping Iran. Who is? No, there's no doubt that Russian and China are involved. This is in their strategic efforts, trying to stand oil from Iran at a very discounted price.
It continues to undermine the West. So this alliance between, and every president has realized this and said this between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea is irrefutable, and the other 3 are nuclear armed states. So, of course, they're assisting, and providing enablers, is it, with material, is it, with intelligence, anything they can get away with? Because it's, obviously, we've been in conflict with all of them for decades, and none of them want to confront us militarily, but they've all come not asymmetrically.
They've been cyber attacks. They threaten our people in our countries, especially the Iranians. So, yeah, so I think it's pretty obvious, they mutually support each other's interests. And this conflict, when it was still epic fury began with day one, the U.
S. took out the supreme leader, the Ayatola. The Secret Service is now really worried about the Iranians trying to kill President Trump. The New York Times has this piece that President Trump abruptly switched aircraft when leaving Turkey this month after what officials judged to be a credible threat that Iranian proxy forces were targeting him and Air Force One.
Does Iran have the ability, or their proxies, have the ability to shoot down Air Force One? Well, that's the great uncertainty. But the fact is, they've been saying this for years, it's clearly their intent, they may not have the capabilities, and maybe they do, but the fact that they've been saying this for years, and for years, we've had to provide protection to our leadership in the U.S.
because of surrogates and agents of Iran is completely unacceptable, indicative why we have to move to a government in Iran, which no longer supports these policies. So it's been their surrogates targeting our leadership in the U.S. and other places, going after Air Force One, if they had a stinger, some sort of element of power that they were provided by either the Russians or the Chinese.
All of these things are just a confirmation of what Iran has been doing for decades. and why the president now has this unique opportunity to go after it, establish a government in Iran that will mean peace and stability in the region for decades to come. And again, these are all indicators of why we have this opportunity now, and we cannot lose it. And to your point about President Trump possibly putting boots on the ground there.
He says that he's not thinking about the midterm elections. He just wants to do what's right, so it could be a total zag like that. We'll see. Admiral Harward, thank you very much for being here.
Good to be with you, Peter.
Last Updated: 2026-09-27