(AP) - President Trump says he doesn’t ‘have the yips’ about sending US ground troops into Iran
In a brief phone interview with the New York Post, the president said he wasn’t ruling out U.S. forces in Iran if “they were necessary.”
“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground. Like, every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump told the newspaper. “I say, ‘Probably don’t need them,’ (or) ‘if they were necessary.’”
Trump has said since the start of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that American military casualties were likely, as they are in any war, but he hasn’t committed to having U.S. forces on the ground long term. Before the strikes began, Vice President JD Vance told The Washington Post that there was “no chance” the U.S. would be pulled into a drawn out war in the Middle East.
[Editor's note: In this context, "I don't have the yips" means "I am not afraid to make this tough call, and I will not hesitate to send in troops if I think it's necessary." - Google]
Hegseth says Iran operation could be shorter or longer than 4 weeks
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. military operation in Iran could be shorter or longer than the four to five weeks that Trump has recently suggested.
“Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take,” Hegseth said at Monday’s news briefing. “Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up. It could move back.”
Trump, in an interview Sunday with The New York Times, said the assault could last “four to five weeks.”
Rescue in Kuwait
Kuwaitis assist American pilot of downed F-15 fighter: