Trump Vows to Soon “Finish the Job” in Iran as US Weighs Ground Assault Option

US President Donald Trump, on Wednesday (April 1, 2026), vowed to soon “finish the job” in Iran, even as his administration was weighing the option of ground assault with thousands of additional troops moving in to the West Asian region.

Offering a full-throated defence of the Iran war in his first national address since the military operations began on February 28, Trump touted the success of the US armed forces and said the “core strategic objectives are nearing completion”.

He argued that all of Washington’s objectives have so far been met or exceeded, but said Iran would continue to face a barrage of attacks in the short term. “We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Trump said. “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”

In the address that lasted less than 20 minutes, Trump repeated most of his rhetorical statements made over the last few weeks, proving no new details. The address appeared to have failed to move public sentiments that showed the US military had gone too far in Iran and triggered the oil prices spike.

“Tonight, I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” Trump said. He also acknowledged American service members who had been killed and added: “We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close.”

Trump did not mention sending ground forces into Iran, not did he talk about pooling NATO in the West Asian war the US and Israel started by killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in airstrikes on Tehran on February 28.

He also did not mention anything about the negotiations he was supposedly having with Iran, particularly on opening of the Strait of Hormuz that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) took control of and imposed a blockade since the war began.

He also noted that in “these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield.” He said US military action had been “so powerful, so brilliant” that “one of the most powerful countries” is “really no longer a threat”.

Trump also seemed to suggest he had ruled out going into Iran to get its enriched uranium. “The nuclear sites that we obliterated with the B-2 bombers have been hit so hard that it would take months to get near the nuclear dust,” he said. “And we have it under intense satellite surveillance and control. If we see them make a move, even a move for it, we’ll hit them with missiles very hard again.”

Meanwhile, American media reports suggested that the US was weighing two possible ground assaults inside Iran as thousands of additional troops move into the Persian Gulf, with final approval resting with Trump. Around 3,500 US Marines and sailors have already arrived in the region, with another 3,500 expected soon. Hundreds of Special Operations forces are also in place.

The report said US military officials were preparing for operations targeting Kharg Island, the centre of Iran’s oil exports, and a separate mission to seize highly enriched uranium linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme. Deploying US troops on Iranian soil would be among the most dangerous military actions of Trump’s presidency.

However, neither operation guarantees a quick end to the war, the collapse of Iran’s leadership, or the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which remains shut and continues to disrupt global energy markets.

One option under consideration is sending Marines to Kharg Island, located off Iran’s Gulf coast and handles about 90% of Iran’s oil exports. Capturing Kharg Island would cut off a key source of revenue for Iran, while strengthening

Washington’s position in the negotiations.

The second option was to deploy Special Operations forces into mainland Iran to secure enriched uranium. But the mission is highly risky with possible Iranian resistance, ambushes, and logistical challenges in inserting and retrieving troops along with their military gear.

Iran, however, kept up its attacks on Israel and other Gulf nations early on Thursday (April 2) unmindful of what Trump had to say or the threats he issued, including media reports on the US sending ground troops into Iran.