Trump: Iran will be defeated soon; we will send ground troops

Washington (Agencies): U.S. President Donald Trump is leaning toward expanding American military operations against Iran, days after receiving security briefings from his top aides, according to U.S. officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. The options under consideration include intensifying air strikes, deploying ground forces to seize strategic Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz, and bombing a fortified site believed to be used for secret nuclear activities. Expanding air strikes to include additional targets inside Iran, including energy facilities, remains another option on the table. The meeting was one of a series of meetings and conversations Trump held over the past few days with senior officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, according to officials. Trump said, “We’ll see if we can reach a settlement with them, or if we’ll end it completely.” He added, according to the newspaper, that the Iranians want to reach a settlement, expressing his belief that this may be possible, while at the same time insisting that Iran will be defeated very soon.