But TRUMP Said THAt He COUld Declare VictOry WhenevEr He FELT LIKE IT
ScrotumScrapings on
“Military reinforcements”?
Oh, you mean invasion.
Damaniel2 on
Send the MAGA chuds first. They wanted this, they should have to fight in it.
Technical_Ideal_5439 on
“The ~~spice~~ OIL must flow” and in US dollars. Until then the US wont leave. Unless it gets closer to the election.
Lonely-Echidna8683 on
This is getting very ugly very quickly. I don’t see it ending well for anyone.
GuiltyAnalysis3316 on
What does this even mean? What are they going to do?
Iran can just delete gulf states oil factories and entire world shuts down and likely ends gulf countries as well because their existence is based on selling oil.
I have so many questions and I assume even US leaders can’t answer them because even they don’t know what anyone (including them) is doing at this point
Brilliant_Version344 on
This is starting to remind me how Vietnam escalated
SirMeatLoafs on
Is this what happens when you’re winning by too much? Lawmakers and politicians cry too Trump to say we dont wanna win so much? Is my understanding right guys?
Expert-Length871 on
First, those ICE dudes.
I’m sure that with their experience, they’ll wrap up every war in a couple of days.
giroml on
Sending reinforcements when Trump said we already won. Caught in an escalation trap now. He will want to draft next.
Mysterious-Oil-7094 on
At what point are voters going to say enough? People have got to get off their asses and get to the polls for midterms.
Kazik77 on
Vietnam 3.0 !!!
buckey5266 on
Non paywall?
JaVelin-X- on
what’ll happen now is Trump and Hegseth will short circuit the US military’s traditional ability to support it’s troops through the best logistics because sending more looks bad and they can’t hide it. if they pass a tipping point it’ll bring casualties. They already can’t protect the allies they promised to protect as it is.
Dolphlungegrin on
Paywall, any text?
Illustrious_Hotel527 on
Send ICE, Lindsey Graham, Barron, Josh Shapiro as the invasion wave. When that fails, send in more ICE agents.
RLewis8888 on
What happened to the already completely destroyed phase?
team_ti on
Text
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the U.S. military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran, said a U.S. official and three people familiar with the matter.
Reuters granted the sources anonymity to speak about military planning.
The Trump administration has also discussed options to send ground forces to Iran’s [Kharg Island,](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/kharg-island-struck-by-us-is-key-hub-iran-oil-exports-2026-03-14/) the hub for 90% of Iran’s oil exports, the three people familiar with the matter and three U.S. officials said. One of the officials said such an operation would be very risky. Iran has the ability to reach the island with missiles and drones.
The United States carried out strikes against military targets on the [island](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/kharg-island-struck-by-us-is-key-hub-iran-oil-exports-2026-03-14/) on March 13 and Trump has threatened to also strike its critical oil infrastructure. However, given its vital role in Iran’s economy, controlling the island would likely be viewed as a better option than destroying it, military experts say.
Trump administration officials have also discussed the possibility of deploying U.S. forces to secure Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium, one of the people familiar with the matter said.
The sources did not believe a deployment of ground forces anywhere in Iran was imminent but declined to discuss specifics of U.S. operational planning. Experts say the task of securing Iran’s uranium stockpiles would be highly complex and risky, even for U.S. special operations forces.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “There has been no decision to send ground troops at this time, but President Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal.
“The president is focused on achieving all of the defined objectives of Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capacity, annihilate their navy, ensure their terrorist proxies cannot destabilize the region, and guarantee that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.”
The Pentagon declined to comment.
The discussions come as the U.S. military continues to attack Iran’s navy, its missile and drone stockpiles and its defense industry.
The U.S. has carried out more than 7,800 strikes since launching the war on February 28 and damaged or destroyed more than 120 Iranian vessels so far, according to a factsheet released on Wednesday by the U.S. Central Command, which oversees the roughly 50,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East.
# U.S. CASUALTIES
Trump has said his goals go beyond degrading Iran’s military capabilities and could include securing safe passage through the Strait and preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
For years, Trump has railed against his predecessors for getting involved in conflicts and has vowed to keep the United States out of foreign wars. But more recently he has refused to rule out the possibility of “boots on the ground” in Iran.
A senior White House official told Reuters that Trump has various options for acquiring Iran’s nuclear material but has not decided how to proceed. “Certainly there are ways in which it could be acquired,” the official said, adding: “He hasn’t made a decision yet.”
In written testimony to lawmakers on Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Iran’s nuclear enrichment program had been obliterated by strikes in June and the entrances to those underground facilities had been “buried and shuttered with cement.”
The sources said the discussions on U.S. reinforcements go beyond the arrival of an Amphibious Ready Group next week in the Middle East, with an attached Marine Expeditionary Unit that includes more than 2,000 Marines.
“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?,'” Trump posted on Truth Social.
fore123 on
My prediction is ground troops on Friday after market close.
ApprehensiveAd7586 on
Im worried that any U.S. casualties that may come of this would unite the U.S. towards this
reap3rx on
I read another article saying that the US was almost done and ready to pull out? Literally no one knows what we’re going to do, not even the people who are deciding what we’re doing lol
Laughing_Zero on
Suspect there’s going to be a Bone Spur epidemic very soon.
Best line I’ve heard so far was on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Tuesday night:
**”The only war that Trump had an exit plan for, was Vietnam.”**
Beaver_Tail_5034 on
I wonder if Trump has an exit plan/strategy?
ReactionJifs on
quagmire! 🏌️♂️⛳
The_chosen_turtle on
God damn how many times are we going to win this fucking war?
ghost_n_the_shell on
What a stupid way to word “invasion”.
ChatamKay on
What’s the point of opening the strait if all the oil and gas infrastructure in the GCC is blown up. Why invade if there’s nothing to send through anyway?
28 Comments
But TRUMP Said THAt He COUld Declare VictOry WhenevEr He FELT LIKE IT
“Military reinforcements”?
Oh, you mean invasion.
Send the MAGA chuds first. They wanted this, they should have to fight in it.
“The ~~spice~~ OIL must flow” and in US dollars. Until then the US wont leave. Unless it gets closer to the election.
This is getting very ugly very quickly. I don’t see it ending well for anyone.
What does this even mean? What are they going to do?
Iran can just delete gulf states oil factories and entire world shuts down and likely ends gulf countries as well because their existence is based on selling oil.
I have so many questions and I assume even US leaders can’t answer them because even they don’t know what anyone (including them) is doing at this point
This is starting to remind me how Vietnam escalated
Is this what happens when you’re winning by too much? Lawmakers and politicians cry too Trump to say we dont wanna win so much? Is my understanding right guys?
First, those ICE dudes.
I’m sure that with their experience, they’ll wrap up every war in a couple of days.
Sending reinforcements when Trump said we already won. Caught in an escalation trap now. He will want to draft next.
At what point are voters going to say enough? People have got to get off their asses and get to the polls for midterms.
Vietnam 3.0 !!!
Non paywall?
what’ll happen now is Trump and Hegseth will short circuit the US military’s traditional ability to support it’s troops through the best logistics because sending more looks bad and they can’t hide it. if they pass a tipping point it’ll bring casualties. They already can’t protect the allies they promised to protect as it is.
Paywall, any text?
Send ICE, Lindsey Graham, Barron, Josh Shapiro as the invasion wave. When that fails, send in more ICE agents.
What happened to the already completely destroyed phase?
Text
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the U.S. military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran, said a U.S. official and three people familiar with the matter.
The deployments could help provide Trump with additional options as he weighs expanding U.S. operations, with the [Iran war](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-criticises-allies-over-rejection-hormuz-request-iran-israel-trade-2026-03-17/) well into its third week.
The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up [here.](https://www.reuters.com/newsletters/reuters-iran-briefing/?location=article-paragraph&redirectUrl=%2Fworld%2Fmiddle-east%2Fus-weighs-military-reinforcements-iran-war-enters-possible-new-phase-2026-03-18%2F)
Those options include securing safe passage for oil tankers through the [Strait of Hormuz](https://www.reuters.com/graphics/IRAN-CRISIS/MAPS/znpnmelervl/#tanker-traffic-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-comes-to-a-standstill), a mission that would be accomplished primarily through air and naval forces, the sources said. But securing the Strait could also mean deploying U.S. troops to Iran’s shoreline, said four sources, including two U.S. officials.
Reuters granted the sources anonymity to speak about military planning.
The Trump administration has also discussed options to send ground forces to Iran’s [Kharg Island,](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/kharg-island-struck-by-us-is-key-hub-iran-oil-exports-2026-03-14/) the hub for 90% of Iran’s oil exports, the three people familiar with the matter and three U.S. officials said. One of the officials said such an operation would be very risky. Iran has the ability to reach the island with missiles and drones.
The United States carried out strikes against military targets on the [island](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/kharg-island-struck-by-us-is-key-hub-iran-oil-exports-2026-03-14/) on March 13 and Trump has threatened to also strike its critical oil infrastructure. However, given its vital role in Iran’s economy, controlling the island would likely be viewed as a better option than destroying it, military experts say.
Any use of U.S. ground troops – even for a limited mission – could pose significant political risks for Trump, given [low support](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/just-one-four-americans-support-us-strikes-iran-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2026-03-01/) among the American public for the Iran campaign and Trump’s own campaign promises to avoid entangling the U.S. in new Middle East conflicts.
Trump administration officials have also discussed the possibility of deploying U.S. forces to secure Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium, one of the people familiar with the matter said.
The sources did not believe a deployment of ground forces anywhere in Iran was imminent but declined to discuss specifics of U.S. operational planning. Experts say the task of securing Iran’s uranium stockpiles would be highly complex and risky, even for U.S. special operations forces.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “There has been no decision to send ground troops at this time, but President Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal.
“The president is focused on achieving all of the defined objectives of Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capacity, annihilate their navy, ensure their terrorist proxies cannot destabilize the region, and guarantee that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.”
The Pentagon declined to comment.
The discussions come as the U.S. military continues to attack Iran’s navy, its missile and drone stockpiles and its defense industry.
The U.S. has carried out more than 7,800 strikes since launching the war on February 28 and damaged or destroyed more than 120 Iranian vessels so far, according to a factsheet released on Wednesday by the U.S. Central Command, which oversees the roughly 50,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East.
# U.S. CASUALTIES
Trump has said his goals go beyond degrading Iran’s military capabilities and could include securing safe passage through the Strait and preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Ground forces could help broaden his options to address those goals, but carry significant risk. Even without any direct conflict in Iran, 13 U.S. troops have been killed so far in the war and about [200 have been wounded](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/number-us-troops-wounded-war-against-iran-rises-about-200-2026-03-16/), although the vast majority of the injuries have been minor, the U.S. military says.
For years, Trump has railed against his predecessors for getting involved in conflicts and has vowed to keep the United States out of foreign wars. But more recently he has refused to rule out the possibility of “boots on the ground” in Iran.
A senior White House official told Reuters that Trump has various options for acquiring Iran’s nuclear material but has not decided how to proceed. “Certainly there are ways in which it could be acquired,” the official said, adding: “He hasn’t made a decision yet.”
In written testimony to lawmakers on Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Iran’s nuclear enrichment program had been obliterated by strikes in June and the entrances to those underground facilities had been “buried and shuttered with cement.”
The sources said the discussions on U.S. reinforcements go beyond the arrival of an Amphibious Ready Group next week in the Middle East, with an attached Marine Expeditionary Unit that includes more than 2,000 Marines.
But one of the sources noted that the U.S. military was losing a significant number of forces with the decision to send the [USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier](https://www.reuters.com/world/us-carrier-ford-deployed-war-with-iran-go-port-temporarily-after-fire-2026-03-17/) to Greece for maintenance after a fire on board the vessel.
Trump has also oscillated on whether the U.S. should secure the Strait of Hormuz.
After initially saying the U.S. Navy could [escort vessels](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-considering-oil-tanker-insurance-support-ease-middle-east-crude-shipments-2026-03-03/), he called on other countries to help open the key water way. With little interest from allies, Trump on Wednesday mused about simply leaving.
“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?,'” Trump posted on Truth Social.
My prediction is ground troops on Friday after market close.
Im worried that any U.S. casualties that may come of this would unite the U.S. towards this
I read another article saying that the US was almost done and ready to pull out? Literally no one knows what we’re going to do, not even the people who are deciding what we’re doing lol
Suspect there’s going to be a Bone Spur epidemic very soon.
Best line I’ve heard so far was on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Tuesday night:
**”The only war that Trump had an exit plan for, was Vietnam.”**
I wonder if Trump has an exit plan/strategy?
quagmire! 🏌️♂️⛳
God damn how many times are we going to win this fucking war?
What a stupid way to word “invasion”.
What’s the point of opening the strait if all the oil and gas infrastructure in the GCC is blown up. Why invade if there’s nothing to send through anyway?
Let’s make the “Clusterf*ck” even BIGGER.