Iran War Day 22: Pentagon’s $200 billion ask, Trump demands others tackle Strait of Hormuz, and reports of potential boots on ground

On Day 22 of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, President Donald Trump reiterated his demand for other nations to commit military forces to secure the Hormuz Strait, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested he would send ground troops to Iran, and CBS reported the U.S. is now close to putting U.S. boots on the ground in Iran – a claim Trump had emphatically denied hours earlier.

Will allies take the lead on securing the strait?

Trump said March 20 that the U.S. was close to achieving all military objectives in the war with Iran while reiterating that he does not support a ceasefire. 

Speaking to reporters outside the White House before departing for Florida, Trump also reiterated his criticism of allies for their unwillingness to send military forces to secure the Hormuz Strait.

He said the military campaign is “won” and “all they're doing is clogging up the strait,” but didn’t elaborate on how much longer the war would go on. 

“I think we've won. We've knocked out their navy, their air force. We've knocked out their anti-aircraft. We've knocked out everything,” he said. “We're roaming free from a military standpoint. All they're doing is clogging up the strait, but from a military standpoint, they're finished.” 

“We can have dialogue, but we don't – I don't want to do a ceasefire,” he said. “You don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating the other side. They don't have a navy. They don't have an Air Force. They don't have any equipment. They don't have any spotters. They don't have anti-aircraft. They don't have radar and their leaders have all been killed at every level. We're not looking to do that.”

Asked whether Israel would be ready to end the war when the U.S. is finished, Trump said he believed the two countries were aligned in their goals. “I think the relationship is a very good one, I think so. We want more or less similar things. You know what we want? We want victory, both of us, and that's what we've got.”

Trump also reiterated his belief that countries relying on the Strait of Hormuz should take the lead in securing the vital shipping lane. 

NATO allies have largely rejected the proposition, and Trump has criticized them for this several times, saying “We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us.” 

He furthered the criticism in a March 20 post on Truth Social, writing, “Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!” 

Trump said the allies complain about the high oil prices but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a task he said would be “a simple military maneuver” before he called them “COWARDS.”

His comments came as Britain broadened its authorization for U.S. forces to use British bases, including RAF Fairford in England and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, for strikes on Iranian sites targeting ships in the strait. 

Netanyahu says boots on the ground; Trump says ‘not putting troops anywhere’ 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said March 20 that overthrowing Iran’s regime will likely require a “ground component” in addition to ongoing airstrikes. 

Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, he urged the Iranian people to “rise to the moment” while asserting that Israel would continue military operations aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, according to The Hill.

Trump has vowed he will not deploy U.S. ground troops, telling reporters at another March 20 press conference, “I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you, but I’m not putting troops.” 

Thousands of Marines reportedly on their way to the Middle East 

The USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its attached 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit have deployed from San Diego to the Middle East, a U.S. official told FOX News, adding about 4,500 sailors and Marines to the U.S. force posture as the war with Iran continues. The deployment began March 18 and is expected to take about a month as the ships transit the Pacific, according to the report. 

The group — consisting of the USS Boxer, USS Portland, and USS Comstock — carries F-35B fighter jets, Osprey aircraft, and attack helicopters. Once in the region, it is expected to overlap with the USS Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group before replacing it in the coming weeks, according to the official.

Asked about the reports of newly deployed troops and whether such a move could affect political support among Republicans, Trump said “I can’t tell you what we’re doing.” 

Father of fallen serviceman says he never told Hegseth to ‘finish the job’ 

The father of a U.S. service member killed in the Iran war said he did not urge Secretary of War Pete Hegseth or Trump to continue the conflict in Iran, contradicting Hegseth’s public remarks made at a March 19 Pentagon press briefing. 

As Zeale News previously reported, the Pentagon briefing came one day after Hegseth and Trump had traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive the remains of U.S. service members killed in the conflict and meet with their families.

Hegseth opened the remarks of the presser by claiming he heard a consistent message from the families of the fallen during the Dover visit.

“What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family. They said ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done.’”

Hegseth pledged to continue the mission in honor of their wishes.

>> Pentagon outlines progress, casualties, next steps as Iran war enters third week << 

According to an NBC News report, Charles Simmons, whose 28-year-old son, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons was among six service members killed in a recent military incident, told the outlet, “I can’t speak for the other families. When [Hegseth] spoke to me, that was not something we talked about.” 

Simmons emphasized his appreciation for the compassion and personal attention shown by both Trump and Hegseth during their meetings. However, rather than asking them to “finish the job,” he told Hegseth he hoped any actions taken were necessary.

“I understand there’s a lot of peril that goes into making decisions like this,” Simmons told NBC. “and I just certainly hope the decisions being made are necessary.”

Simmons said he has “questions” about the conflict and is still unable to draw “definitive conclusions when I don’t have all the data.”

“Who wants war?” he said. “Sometimes it’s a necessity, and I just don’t know what’s going on.” 

Pentagon’s $200 billion request 

The Pentagon sent a request to the White House seeking more than $200 billion in additional funding to support military operations tied to the war in Iran, according to a senior administration official familiar with the matter. The proposal, first reported March 18 by The Washington Post, would need approval from both the White House and Congress if advanced as a supplemental spending package.

Hegseth, speaking at the Pentagon briefing the following day, did not dispute the reported figure, saying the amount “could move” while emphasizing the need to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles and sustain ongoing operations. Trump also addressed the request at one of his March 20 press conferences, calling it a “small price to pay” to maintain military readiness and indicating the funding would support broader defense priorities beyond the immediate conflict.

The request is already getting some firm rejections from members of the right coalition, with Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert telling reporters, “I’ve got folks in Colorado who can’t afford to live. We need America First policies right now.”