Leavitt says ground troops in Iran not currently being considered, doesn’t rule it out | 4 March 2026 | White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt would not rule out the possibility of the U.S. sending ground troops to Iran, though she said Wednesday it is not being considered at the moment. During the first White House press briefing since Operation Epic Fury was launched, a reporter asked whether ground troops would be sent into Iran. “Well, they’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time, but I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States or the commander in chief, and he wisely does not do the same for himself,” Leavitt said. “I know there’s many leaders in the past who like to take options off of the table without having a full understanding of how things could develop. So, again, it’s not part of the current plan, but I’m not going to remove an option for the president that is on the table.”