Trump Tells Acting Defense Secretary He Doesn’t War With Iran: Report

President Trump expressed to acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Wednesday that he does not want the U.S. to go to war with Iran, The New York Times reports. Trump reportedly expressed his view during a meeting in the Situation Room, after recent reports stated senior White House officials have been discussing sending a substantial number of troops to the Middle East if actions from Iran warrant the deployment. No new information was reportedly presented to Trump about any “further engagement with Iran,” but the president was nevertheless adamant about avoiding a “military clash” with Iran. This comes after Trump told reporters Thursday that he doesn’t hope for war with Iran.