Trump says not putting US troops in region amid Iran war

Trump Iran troops: President rules out deploying US forces as Israel plans retaliation

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

President Donald Trump said the United States will not send troops to the Middle East as Israel prepares to strike Iran for its April 15 ballistic missile attack.

Trump told reporters at the White House that Washington would “not be putting soldiers in the line of fire” and would instead support Israel from a distance.

The statement came hours after Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israeli territory, causing limited damage but marking Tehran’s first direct assault on Israel from Iranian soil.

“We’re not going into that region with soldiers,” Trump said during a press briefing on Wednesday. “We can help in other ways.”

The president spoke after meeting his national security team to review options following Iran’s weekend attack, which Israel said injured 12 people and caused minor damage to an airbase.

Trump’s announcement marked a shift from earlier administration statements that kept all options open for responding to Iranian aggression.

Israeli officials told reporters that plans for retaliation were complete and awaiting final cabinet approval, according to public broadcaster Kan.

The Israeli military declined to specify timing or targets but said Iran would “pay a price” for the assault, spokesperson Daniel Hagari told reporters.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the attack was retaliation for Israel’s April 1 strike that killed 7 Iranian officers at Damascus consulate.

Israel reported shooting down 99 percent of incoming projectiles with help from US, British and Jordanian forces.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American forces destroyed dozens of Iranian drones but emphasized no US troops entered Iranian airspace.

Hegseth told reporters that existing regional deployments provided sufficient capability without ground reinforcements.

The Pentagon maintains 40,000 troops across Middle East bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria.

Iran warned of “maximum response” to any Israeli counterattack, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told state television.

The United Nations urged restraint as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned regional tensions were at “boiling point.”

Oil prices rose 3 percent to $90 per barrel on Wednesday amid fears of wider conflict disrupting shipping lanes.

Background

Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated since Syria’s civil war allowed Tehran to establish military footholds near Israeli borders.

Iran backs Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and various militia groups across Syria and Iraq that have attacked Israeli and American targets.

Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria over the past decade, saying it prevents weapons transfers to hostile groups.

The two countries fought a shadow war for years through proxies and limited attacks but avoided direct confrontation until April 2024.

Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden ordered strikes on Iranian-linked targets after 3 American soldiers died in a January 2024 drone attack in Jordan.

What’s Next

Israel’s security cabinet scheduled a Thursday meeting to finalize retaliation plans, according to officials who spoke to Israeli media on condition of anonymity.

European foreign ministers planned emergency talks in Brussels to discuss diplomatic options for preventing regional escalation.

Oil markets will watch Israeli action closely as traders price in risk of Iranian attempts to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said his administration would announce new economic sanctions on Iran within 48 hours targeting its missile program and oil exports.