South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace said Wednesday she opposes sending U.S. troops into Iran, following a closed-door briefing with military officials.
“Let me repeat: I will not support troops on the ground in Iran, even more so after this briefing,” Mace said in a post on X after attending a House Armed Services session.
Her remarks come as concerns mount over a possible escalation of the conflict involving Iran, following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes last month targeting Iranian capabilities.
Iran responded with retaliatory attacks that extended beyond its borders, affecting multiple countries and resulting in casualties, including American personnel killed and injured.
Public opinion in the United States appears to reflect similar caution. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, a majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump could order a large-scale ground invasion of Iran.
At the same time, most respondents said they oppose such a move, with 55% rejecting the idea of sending troops, compared with only a small percentage expressing support.
The Pentagon is expected to send thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, adding to a massive U.S. military buildup even as President Donald Trump talks about a possible deal with Tehran to end the war.
Reuters first reported on March 18 that Trump's administration was considering deploying thousands of additional U.S. troops, a move that would expand options to include the deployment of forces inside Iranian territory. Such an escalation could dramatically raise the stakes in the conflict, which is already in its fourth week and has roiled global markets.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not specify where in the Middle East the troops would go or when they would arrive in the region. The soldiers are stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Sources had previously said the U.S. military was looking at options in the Iran war ,including securing the Strait of Hormuz, potentially by deploying U.S. forces to Iran's shoreline.
The Trump administration has also discussed options to send ground forces to Iran's Kharg Island, the hub for 90% of Iran's oil exports, Reuters has reported.
The 82nd Airborne Division, which can deploy within 18 hours of receiving orders, specializes in carrying out parachute assaults.
Any use of U.S. ground troops - even for a limited mission - could pose significant political risks for Trump, given low American public support for the Iran campaign and Trump's own pre-election promises to avoid entangling the U.S. in new Middle East conflicts.
