Sending US troops to Iran would be ‘a waste of time’: Trump

US President Donald Trump has said it would be a “waste of time” at present to consider sending US ground troops into Iran.

“It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose,” he said, adding that the pace and intensity of strikes will continue.

Trump made the remarks in a phone call with US broadcaster NBC News on Thursday night, in response to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi telling “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas that his country is ready for a ground invasion by American and Israeli forces.

He called Araghchi’s statement a "wasted comment" and suggested that a ground invasion is not something he is considering at this time.

The US President indicated that he wants to see Iran's leadership structure fully removed and said he has some names in mind for a “good leader.”

“We want to go in and clean out everything. We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period,” Trump said.

“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job,” he added, declining to name anyone.

Trump also said he is taking steps to ensure that the people on his list survive the conflict.