President Trump acknowledged on Tuesday that he would consider sending 120,000 troops, or more, to the Middle East to deal with Iran, even as he called the report “fake news.”
“Would I do that? Absolutely,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House. “But we have not planned for that. Hopefully we’re not going to have to plan for that. And if we did that, we would send a hell of a lot more troops than that.”
The president also blasted the New York Times, which revealed that the White House was considering such a move and that acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan unveiled a plan last week which would send the 120,000 troops to the Middle East.
“I think it’s just – where was that story, in the New York Times? Well the New York Times is fake news,” Trump said.
The move would come as a response to a possible attack by Iran on U.S. forces, or an acceleration of Iran’s nuclear weapons development.
The U.S. sent a Navy strike group to the Persian Gulf last week in what national security advisor John Bolton said was a “clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime.” The U.S. dispatched the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the area.
In response, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander threatened the U.S. ships, calling them a target.
“An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past, but now, it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities,” Iranian official Amirali Hajizadeh said on Sunday.
Trump issued a warning to Iran on Monday from the White House.
“If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake, if they do anything,” the president said. “I’m hearing little stories about Iran. If they do anything, they will suffer greatly.”
