U.S. won't rule out sending ground troops into Iran

"Our generation knows better, and so does this president. Unlike recent U.S. wars, this one would not be endless. Defense Secretary Hegseth struck a combative tone early in the briefing, defending President Donald Trump's decision to authorize the operation against Iran while chastising critics and vowing that the conflict would not become an endless engagement like previous American military interventions."

"Hegseth appeared to contradict statements made by Trump over the past three days, declaring that the fight with Iran is not a so-called regime-change war. The president has been explicit in saying that is precisely his objective, in addition to destroying Iranian military capabilities, creating a notable discrepancy between the defense secretary's characterization and the administration's stated goals."

"In comments to the New York Post on Monday, Trump acknowledged that he had not ruled out sending ground forces into Iran if they were necessary. Hegseth similarly refused to rule out the possibility of American ground troops being deployed into Iran, though he did not articulate what the Pentagon's exit strategy would be as it attempts to secure a quick, decisive victory while limiting U.S. bloodshed."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine held their first public briefing regarding military operations against Iran. Hegseth adopted a combative stance, defending Trump's authorization of attacks on Iranian military infrastructure and criticizing administration opponents. He pledged the conflict would not become an endless war like recent U.S. military engagements. However, Hegseth declined to rule out deploying American ground troops into Iran if deemed necessary. Trump separately acknowledged not excluding ground forces as an option. A fourth American service member died from wounds sustained during Iran's counterattack. Kuwait reported shooting down three F-15 fighter jets in a friendly fire incident, with all six crew members surviving. Notably, Hegseth's statement that the operation is not a regime-change war contradicted Trump's explicit statements about regime change objectives.

Read at The Washington Post