(José Niño, Headline USA) Tensions are rising between U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio over whether the United States should deploy troops to Iran at Israel’s request, three former U.S. officials and a senior regional official told Middle East Eye.
Rubio and Hegseth were described as “at each other’s throats” over the troop deployment question, per the report by MEE. Hegseth supports the position while Rubio is deeply wary of entangling the U.S. in a long war, sources told MEE.
The United States has mainly confined its operations to air strikes and standoff strikes using cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, but CNN reported this week that the CIA has begun training and arming Kurdish fighters to operate in Iran.
One Gulf official told MEE that US officials have discussed sending special operations teams into Iran to target senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officials and people familiar with Iran’s nuclear programme.
Both secretaries have defended the U.S. war on Iran, but Hegseth has been especially combative when confronted by journalists with questions about the administration’s timeline and potential troop deployment.
“No, but we’re not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do,” Hegseth said this week when asked about US troops on the ground. “Why in the world would we tell you, the enemy, anybody, what we will or will not do in pursuit of an objective.”
At a press conference Wednesday, Hegseth said military gains were being overshadowed by casualties. “We’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. We control their fate. But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front-page news.”
A day after the story was published, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on X that the report was “complete and total 100% FAKE NEWS.”
One former US official, a high ranking military officer, said Rubio was more attuned to potential domestic opposition to putting US soldiers on the ground. He has also been irked with Hegseth’s public posture during press briefings.
Trump himself has been evasive on whether the US should put boots on the ground. “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,” he told The New York Post Monday. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary’.”
At least six US service members have been killed in the war.
Rubio said this week the US attacked Iran because it feared Israel was going to attack first. He then backtracked from that statement. The administration says it wants to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile, naval and nuclear programme but has also said its goal is toppling the Islamic Republic.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
