Trump on a Land Invasion of Iran: A Waste of Time
US President Donald Trump has said that at present a consideration of sending US ground troops to Iran would be a waste of time. He also dismissed warnings from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that such a move would spell disaster for the attackers.
‘That is a waste of time. They have lost everything. They have lost their navy. They have lost all they could lose,’ he told NBC News by telephone, AFP reported on Friday, 6 March 2026.
Trump added that the Iranian foreign minister’s assertion that Iran was ready for a ground invasion by the US or Israel was ‘a pointless remark.’
Trump also indicated that he would like to see the Iranian leadership removed and that ‘we want to go in and clean house quickly,’ he said. ‘We do not want someone who will rebuild over a 10-year period.’ He added that he had a proposal for a new Iranian leader but refused to name anyone.
Trump had previously said that he ‘must be involved’ in naming the next Iranian leader after US-Israel strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the conflict began on Saturday.
A major attack was reported in Tehran, Iran on Friday, 6 March, after Israel said it had attacked the ‘regime’s infrastructure’ in a ‘new phase’ of the war launched jointly with the US.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a firm message to the United States and Israel amid the ongoing onslaught by the enemies of the Islamic Republic.
In an exclusive NBC News interview from Tehran, Iran on Thursday, 5 March, local time, Araghchi firmly rejected fears about a possible US ground invasion. He stressed Iran’s readiness and confidence in defending its sovereignty.
‘There is no, we are waiting for them,’ he said when asked whether he feared a potential US ground invasion. ‘Because we are confident that we can face them, and it will be a big disaster for them,’ he added, according to Iranian media PressTV, Friday, 6 March 2026.
Araghchi stressed that the Iranian armed forces have prepared for every scenario.
The remarks come amid the widening war against Iran that began with large-scale aggression by the US and Israel on Saturday 28 February. Araghchi emphasised that Iran has not called for a ceasefire and remains committed to resisting the aggression.
Araghchi also referred to the 12-day war in June last year, when Israel and the US targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities. ‘We did not even seek a ceasefire then,’ he said.
‘Earlier, it was Israel that sought a ceasefire… after 12 days we resisted their aggression,’ he concluded.