Trump: Still Far from Ordering US Ground Troops into Iran

Washington — US President Donald Trump stated on Monday (9 March) that he remains “far” from deciding to order American ground troops into Iran to protect nuclear material in Isfahan, according to reports from the New York Post.

“We haven’t made any decision on that. We’re still far from taking that step,” Trump told the newspaper in a telephone interview.

Trump also expressed that he is “not pleased” with Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader. On Sunday (8 March), Trump stated that Iran’s next supreme leader “will not last long” without his approval.

“He must get approval from us. If he doesn’t get approval from us, he won’t last long,” Trump said in an interview with ABC News.

On 28 February, the US and Israel launched a combined assault on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dozens of senior officials and military commanders, and hundreds of civilians.