President Donald Trump has refused to rule out sending American ground troops into Iran, days after launching the sweeping bombing campaign he says could last weeks or longer. Speaking to The New York Post, Trump said he does not have the "yips" about deploying forces, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted the administration would not be "dumb about it." Still, neither official has closed the door on boots on the ground...
Middle East analysts warn that such ambiguity risks pulling the United States into a broader and more destabilizing conflict. Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft said the administration appears to be pursuing "regime implosion" without clearly articulating how it would achieve that goal. Others have compared the shifting justifications for the strikes to the run-up to the Iraq War, cautioning against another open-ended military campaign.
Experts also question whether airstrikes alone can meet the administration's stated objectives of crippling Iran's missile program and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Some argue that without forces on the ground to secure facilities and materials, those aims may be unattainable, and could instead set the stage for a drawn-out war that tests US resolve and reshapes the region...