President Trump said Thursday he was not putting American troops on the ground in Iran amid speculation he is considering deploying forces to support operations as the war approaches its fourth week. “I’m not putting troops anywhere,” he told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you. But I’m not putting troops.” Multiple outlets have reported the administration is considering using troops to secure the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Iran’s Kharg Island, the hub for 90% of the country’s oil exports. The administration has also reportedly discussed conducting a highly complex special operations mission to secure the regime’s enriched uranium, much of which is stored in deep underground facilities. President Trump has declined to put a timeline on the war but told reporters “it’s going to be over with soon” and described the “little excursion” as “substantially ahead of schedule.” “We’ve obliterated their navy, we’ve obliterated their — just about everything there is to be obliterated,” he said. “As you know, their leadership is gone.” So far, at least 13 U.S. service members have died in the conflict since it began late last month, with another 200 wounded, though many have since returned to duty. Watch more by tapping the link in our bio. #trump #iran #military #politics #cspan