New York, March 3 (NationPress) President Donald Trump of the United States has not dismissed the possibility of deploying US troops to Iran “if necessary,” marking a notable departure from his previous stance against foreign military engagements.

In an interview with the New York Post, he stated, “Like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I won’t say that.”

He indicated that troop deployment could occur “if they were necessary,” although he added, “I’ll say ‘probably don’t need them.’”

This comment regarding potential troop involvement coincided with reports from the Central Command on X that four members of US forces have died as of Monday.

Trump had anticipated the risk of American casualties when he declared the commencement of Operation Epic Fury on Saturday morning. “The Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties — that often happens in war,” he articulated in a video announcement.

In his Monday interview with the Post, Trump asserted that Operation Epic Fury is progressing “way ahead of schedule” and is expected to unfold rapidly. He initially estimated it would take four weeks to eliminate Iran’s leadership, yet noted that 49 leaders were eliminated “in one day.”

Among those killed was Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

However, Trump remarked on Monday that he anticipated the operation would extend over four to five weeks, yet he remained prepared for it to last “far longer than that.”

Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Danny Danon, stated it would take as long as necessary.

Following several missteps in US military engagements abroad, public sentiment is cautious. A recent Reuters-IPSOS poll revealed that only 27 percent of respondents supported the attack on Iran, while 43 percent opposed it, and 13 percent were undecided.

Trump dismissed these findings, asserting, “I don’t care about polling. I have to do the right thing.”

He expressed confidence that people are genuinely impressed with the unfolding situation. He mentioned relying on a “silent majority” poised to express their views in what he termed a “real poll.”

With his America First agenda, Trump had previously been skeptical about foreign military interventions during his presidential campaign, even seeking a Nobel Peace Prize. However, this year, he ordered military action in Venezuela to apprehend its leader, Nicolas Maduro.

Last week, he escalated military actions with the launch of Operation Epic Fury targeting Iran on a much larger scale.