Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump said he is not currently considering deploying American ground forces to Iran, calling the idea a “waste of time” as the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to escalate.
Speaking to NBC News by telephone on Thursday, Trump dismissed warnings from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that any US or Israeli ground invasion would lead to disastrous consequences for invading forces.
“It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose,” Trump said, adding that Araghchi’s remarks about Iran preparing for a ground invasion were “a wasted comment.”
The US president also claimed that Iran’s military capabilities had been severely degraded by ongoing strikes.
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According to Trump, Iran has effectively lost its air force and air defense systems, saying the country was being “demolished ahead of schedule and at levels people have never seen before.”
Trump further suggested that the current Iranian leadership should be replaced, saying Washington wanted to see a rapid transition rather than a leadership structure that could rebuild over the next decade. While he said he had ideas about potential leadership in Iran, he declined to identify any specific individuals.
The conflict, now in its seventh day, has expanded across multiple parts of the Middle East. Heavy strikes were reported in Tehran after Israel announced it was entering a new phase of attacks targeting what it described as Iranian regime infrastructure.
Fighting has spread beyond Iran and Israel, with missile and drone attacks reported across several countries, including Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Azerbaijan, raising fears of a wider regional war.
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Meanwhile, Iranian officials have rejected calls for a ceasefire and warned that the country has yet to deploy many of its newest weapons systems. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said further military responses could follow if attacks continue.
International observers warn that the escalating confrontation risks destabilising the wider region and could have far-reaching consequences for global security, energy markets, and international shipping routes.
