Trump preparing to put troops on ground in Iran as plans revealed

President Donald Trump could still put US troops on the ground in Iran despite publicly denying he plans to do so, according to a new report.

CBS News reported Friday that Pentagon officials have crafted detailed proposals for deploying US forces into Iran. 

Unnamed sources told the network that Trump is deliberating the option, as military strikes against the Islamic Republic have gone on for nearly three weeks. 

At the same time, Trump insisted the Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a major global shipping lane, don't impact the United States.

'We don't use the Strait,' he said on the South Lawn Friday afternoon, before departing for Mar-a-Lago. 'The United States, we don't need it. Europe needs it. Korea, Japan, China, a lot of other people.'

'So, they'll have to get involved a little bit on that one,' the President added. 

He made similar statements in a Truth Social post put out during his flight to Florida, where he also boasted: 'We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran.' 

Trump has raged against NATO, in particular, for not offering up resources to help ships get through the Strait of Hormuz. 

Earlier Friday in a Truth Social post, he called members of the historic military alliance that's a check against Russia 'COWARDS.' 

'Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!' he said. 'They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran.' 

'Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices,' he continued. 'So easy for them to do, with so little risk.' 

He told reporters on the South Lawn that Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican ally on Capitol Hill, was 'right' to ask him to reconsider having US bases in Spain and Germany after the Strait of Hormuz controversy. 

'I think NATO's gone down a long way,' he said. 'And don't forget, he was a big NATO guy for awhile, and now he's not,' Trump said of Graham, one of the top Iran war hawks.

Trump's harsh comments came after seven of the US's allies - including six who are NATO members - offered to help in a joint statement released Thursday. 

'We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning,' the joint statement read. 

It was signed by United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, visited Trump at the White House Thursday.

During their Oval Office sit-down, Trump was asked directly if he planned to deploy US troops to Iran. 

'No, I'm not putting troops anywhere,' he responded.

'If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you,' he told the reporter. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to CBS that just because plans are being drawn up doesn't mean that Trump has to utilize them.

'It's the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality, it does not mean the President has made a decision, and as the President said in the Oval Office yesterday, he is not planning to send ground troops anywhere at this time.'