President Trump declared Monday he will not rule out deploying American ground troops to Iran if necessary, telling The Post that Operation Epic Fury has eliminated 49 Iranian leaders in just one day—far exceeding the four-week timeline military planners originally projected for leadership decapitation strikes.
President Rejects Traditional No-Boots Pledge
Trump broke with conventional presidential messaging by explicitly refusing to promise no ground forces. “I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground—like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump stated after Saturday’s strikes targeting Tehran’s military and political leadership. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ or ‘if they were necessary.'” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced the position, telling reporters the administration wants enemies to understand America will advance its interests without repeating costly occupation errors.
The strikes followed failed Geneva negotiations Thursday after intelligence revealed Iran resumed nuclear weapons development at undisclosed locations. Trump said Tehran repeatedly backed away from agreements, forcing his decision to launch comprehensive military action. “We found they were in a totally different site—totally different—because the sites that we took out were destroyed,” Trump explained. “So then we found them working on a totally different area, a totally different site, in order to make a nuclear weapon through enrichment—so it was just time.”
Public Opposition Grows as President Dismisses Polling
Trump faces mounting public skepticism despite military progress. A CNN poll released Monday showed 59 percent disapprove of the strikes, with only 41 percent supporting the action—worse than June’s Operation Midnight Hammer, which garnered 44 percent approval. A separate Reuters survey found just 27 percent backing the current offensive. Trump dismissed the numbers entirely, insisting he must prioritize preventing nuclear proliferation over public opinion. “I don’t care about polling. I have to do the right thing,” he declared, arguing a “silent majority” supports preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Rapid Timeline Suggests Accelerated Campaign
The president indicated the conflict may conclude faster than his Sunday estimate of four weeks. Military planners expected leadership elimination to require a month, but accomplished the objective within 24 hours. Trump brushed aside terrorism concerns, stating his administration will eliminate threats as they emerge. The White House maintains partnership with Israel throughout the operation while NATO announced support without direct participation. The swift decapitation strikes represent a calculated gamble that removing Iranian leadership will prevent nuclear capability without prolonged occupation or regional escalation beyond current operations.