On Saturday, March 7, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that in certain circumstances, he does not rule out the possibility of deploying U.S. ground forces to Iran and suggested that the U.S. military has the capability to win in ground combat. However, he ruled out any plan to use Kurdish forces in Iraq to attack Tehran or seize control of the Iranian government.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said: “I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss this right now. There would have to be a very good reason to do it. If we actually did it, they would be completely crushed, with no capacity for ground combat.”
When asked by The Guardian whether U.S. forces might be sent to secure Iran’s enriched uranium, Trump hinted that this possibility exists. The enriched uranium is believed to be stored at Iranian nuclear facilities, which were bombed last year during the U.S. “Operation Midnight Hammer.”
He said: “We haven’t discussed that yet. Maybe we’ll talk about it in the future. That could be a good thing. Right now, we’re just crushing them. We haven’t gone after that yet, but maybe we will later. Not now, though.”
No Kurdish forces
Trump also emphasized that Kurdish forces would not be allowed to participate in any offensive operations. He stated that in the context of escalating conflict, involving them would only complicate the situation. Several media outlets had previously reported that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had provided weapons support to Kurdish forces.
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“I don’t want the Kurds going in. They want to, but I’ve told them not to. The war is already complex enough; there’s no need to drag the Kurds into it,” Trump said.
Just hours before making these remarks, Trump had visited Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend a Dignified Transfer ceremony alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The ceremony honored six U.S. soldiers who died in the early stages of the Iran conflict.
The ceremony took place under overcast skies, with gray mist enveloping the base and the C-17 Globemaster aircraft transporting the fallen soldiers’ remains. Notably, Trump wore a white baseball cap embroidered with “USA” in gold letters.
At the scene, Trump saluted each of the six transfer cases draped in American flags and watched as the remains were loaded into waiting vehicles. He later told reporters that the moment did not make him reconsider continuing the war against Iran.
“We are moving far ahead. We’ve destroyed their entire evil empire. I believe the fighting will continue for some time, but I am very proud of our people,” he said.
Since Trump approved U.S. participation in airstrikes alongside Israel against Iran a week ago, the conflict has escalated. A series of strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was meeting with senior officials in a Tehran complex at the time.
Conflict could last months
Early in the conflict, Trump estimated the military operation would last about four weeks. However, the U.S. government later revised its statements, with some officials warning that the conflict could last for months.
When asked on Saturday how long the war might continue, Trump did not provide a clear timeline.
According to AOL, in the early hours of Saturday, Trump also posted on the social media platform Truth Social in response to an apology issued by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to neighboring countries.
He wrote: “Iran is being utterly defeated, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle Eastern neighbors, and promised not to fire on them again. That promise exists only because of the ongoing pressure from the U.S. and Israel.”
Regarding the Iranian government, Trump wrote: “They wanted to take over and rule the Middle East. For the first time in thousands of years, Iran has lost to neighboring Middle Eastern countries. They said: ‘Thank you, President Trump.’ I said: ‘You’re welcome!’”
Trump also stated that Iran is no longer the “bully of the Middle East” but the “loser of the Middle East,” and will remain so for decades unless they choose to surrender—or, more likely, unless the regime collapses entirely.
He further warned that Iran will face heavy strikes, with some regions at risk of total destruction.
By Gao Yun
