As the conflict continues, the US president has become increasingly unclear about his ultimate goal
Democratic lawmakers state that they are afraid President Donald Trump might send American troops to Iran. This follows classified briefings with administration officials, which left senators with what they termed significant unanswered questions regarding the war’s objectives and scope.
After a closed-door briefing with members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal said the administration seemed to be moving towards the possibility of sending US forces into Iran.
“We appear to be on a course towards deploying American troops on the ground in Iran to achieve any of the potential objectives,” Blumenthal told reporters, adding that he left the briefing “dissatisfied and angry.”
Blumenthal said lawmakers were still seeking clarity on the war’s costs, its expected duration, and the risks to US personnel.
“The American people deserve to know far more than what this administration has told them about the cost of the war, the danger to our sons and daughters in uniform, and the potential for further escalation and widening of this war,” he said.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen voiced similar concerns, warning that the administration’s briefings had raised more questions rather than providing clarity.
The White House has not excluded the possibility of deploying troops to Iran but has denied any plans for a large-scale ground operation. Trump has said ground forces could be considered only “for a very good reason.”
However, behind the scenes, the administration has reportedly discussed more limited options involving special operations forces. According to media reports, one scenario being considered could involve sending small teams of US or Israeli special forces to secure Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.
Trump has admitted that such a mission is possible but not imminent. “At some point perhaps we will,” Trump said aboard Air Force One over the weekend. “If we ever did that, [the Iranians] would be so severely damaged that they wouldn’t be able to fight on the ground level.”
The president has remained vague about the broader endgame for the war, while calling for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” When pressed about how long the operation would last, Trump changed his estimates from “four to five weeks” to “whatever it takes” to a “short expedition” that will be completed “very soon.”
The conflict began on February 28, after Washington abruptly abandoned negotiations with Tehran and joined Israel in carrying out airstrikes against Iranian leadership and military targets. Iranian counterstrikes on US military bases in the region have already killed at least eight and reportedly injured over 140 American service members.
The uncertainty has led to criticism from US lawmakers, who contend that Congress has not received enough information about the administration’s long-term strategy. Some Democrats are now threatening to use procedural tools in the Senate to slow legislative business unless administration officials testify under oath about the war and its objectives.