Professor Jiang Xueqin has warned that the United States could eventually deploy ground troops to Iran despite the current ceasefire.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored in a video posted on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, Jiang said several of his earlier predictions about the conflict had come true, including the failure of regime decapitation efforts and a prolonged military standoff. Responding to host Piers Morgan, who noted that no ground troops had been deployed, Jiang argued the threat had not disappeared.
“Boots on the ground would be a disaster, but I still believe that eventually the United States will be forced to use boots on the ground,” he said.
Jiang claimed about 660,000 U.S. troops remain staged and ready for deployment, adding that the current memorandum of understanding with Iran may only be delaying further military action until cooler weather. He suggested any ground operation could occur between December and next March.
He also argued that the United States remains economically tied to the region and that a withdrawal could destabilise Gulf alliances and the global economy.
