White House says Trump keeps ground troops option on table in Iran campaign

ISTANBUL

The White House on Sunday said that ground troops remain an option in the campaign against Iran, even as the operation continues to be carried out largely through airstrikes.

"It has been (largely an air campaign), and it will continue to be," spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News, adding that US President Donald Trump wanted to continue assessing the operation's progress before making any decisions.

Ground troops "not part of the current plan right now, but the president wisely keeps his options on the table," she said.

Trump had previously told the New York Post he did not rule out deploying ground forces "if they were necessary."

On energy and oil prices, Leavitt acknowledged short-term disruption but framed it as a trade-off, saying removing the "rogue Iranian terrorist regime" would ultimately benefit the oil industry and end Tehran's alleged long-running restrictions on energy flow through the Strait of Hormuz.

On alternative oil supplies, Leavitt pointed to Venezuela, saying the US was working with interim authorities there to bring oil to market "as expeditiously as possible."

"Those prices are going to come back down just like they have over the course of the past year," she said.

Regional tensions escalated last week when the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, which entered its ninth day on Sunday, reportedly killing more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.