Trump warns 'it would be foolhardy' to pull US troops before the Iran mission is completed
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has said he has no intention of withdrawing the approximately 50,000 US troops involved in the ongoing conflict with Iran until military objectives have been achieved, arguing that maintaining the force presence remains essential to the mission.
In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, aired on Sunday, June 7, Trump dismissed concerns that American troops currently deployed in the region face significant danger.
“I don’t consider them in danger,” Trump told moderator Kristen Welker. “We have the best defense anyone’s ever seen. We have the best offense anyone’s ever seen.”
The president said a withdrawal at this stage would be a mistake and could undermine future military options.
“I would say it would be foolhardy to do that because maybe we may use them,” he added, referring to the troops stationed across the Middle East in support of operations linked to the conflict.
President defends military campaign
Trump also defended the broader military operation, arguing that US casualties have remained comparatively low despite months of fighting.
The president pointed to historical conflicts, including the Vietnam War, to place the losses in context, while acknowledging that any loss of life is significant.
“We’ve lost 13 people here and that’s a lot. Thirteen people, too many,” Trump said. “But if you look at Vietnam, where hundreds of thousands of people were killed, or many of the last wars where large numbers of people died, we lost 13.”
He stressed that while he would prefer no casualties, the current toll is far lower than many military analysts had feared at the outset of the conflict.
“I think we’re doing a great job,” Trump said.
Thirteen US service members killed
According to US military reports, 13 American service members have died in connection with the conflict so far.
Six troops were killed on March 1 following an Iranian strike on Kuwait’s Shuaiba port. Another service member died on March 8 after an Iranian attack targeting Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
The deadliest single incident occurred on March 12, when a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, killing six service members aboard.
The comments come as the administration faces continued scrutiny over the duration of the conflict and the long-term US military commitment in the region.
