- By Shibra Arshad
- Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:12 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Israel-Iran-US War: As tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate after the US and Israel launched an alleged ‘preemptive’ attack on Iran last week, killing the supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the majority of his family members, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that ‘boots on the ground’ may not be required, signalling his intention not to escalate the war. Appearing on an interview with NewsNation journalist Kellie Meyer, Trump affirmed retaliatory action against Iran to avenge the killing of US service members and the attack on the US embassy in Riyadh. As of Monday, six US servicemen were killed in a retaliatory attack from Iran.
After launching Saturday's strikes on Iran, Trump had told NY Post, "Every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it. I say 'probably don't need them,' [or] 'if they were necessary."
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Trump also told The New York Post that the US had more firepower in store, adding that ‘big waves’ were yet to come in the war with Iran. Trump on Monday said that the US is able to ‘go for longer’ than the projected four-to-five-week time frame for its military operation in Iran. Nearly 555 people in Iran and six US servicemen have been in the war so far.
What Are US’s Objective Behind Attack On Iran
Talking about what he aims to achieve through war, Trump, for the first time, laid out the list, stating, destroying Iran's missiles, navy and nuclear program and stopping its support for armed groups across the region. Trump’s list did not include toppling the government in Iran.
After the US, Israel continued to attack Iran since Saturday, and Tehran launched retaliatory attacks, targeting US assets in the Middle East and oil infrastructure in the region. Iran has threatened to drive up the energy cost, which can wreak havoc in global economy. "We will burn any ship that tries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," Revolutionary Guard General Jabbar Said.
America Joined Only After Learning Israel Was To Attack Iran: Rubia
"The imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked, and we believed they would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us," US Secretary of State Rubio told reporters before briefing lawmakers.