Donald Trump risks humiliation if the Iran war forces a military draft, leaving his administration facing the prospect of relying on some of the very people it has aggressively fought to remove from the country.
Donald Trump’s own policies could come back to “bite” him if the Iran war forces a military draft, potentially leaving his administration reliant on some of the very people it has aggressively pushed to remove from the country.
More than six months after the U.S. went to war with Iran, American forces remain locked in a conflict that has already cost close to $40 billion and pushed the cost of living higher around the world.
The fighting has largely depended on air and naval power, but with no clear end to the conflict, and Trump recently threatening on Truth Social that the “biggest attack of them all…is waiting in the wings,” questions continue to swirl around just how far the U.S. could eventually be forced to go.
One possibility attracting attention is something America hasn’t used in more than 50 years: the draft.
Selective Service
There is currently no military draft in the United States and bringing one back would require action by Congress and the president. But the system that would identify potential recruits never disappeared.
And later this year, that 107-year-old system is getting a major overhaul.
Under legislation signed by Trump in December 2025, the government will move toward automatically registering eligible men with the Selective Service System (SSS), rather than relying on them to register themselves.
The change is due to take effect Dec. 19, but under the current system, failing to register
“is a violation” that “may result in imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine of not more than $250,000,” according to the SSS.
‘Irony bites Trump hard’
The rules governing who must register could create an uncomfortable political contradiction for an administration that has made mass deportations and tougher immigration enforcement central to its agenda, according to Christopher Lee of Foresight Strategic Advisors.
“As is the case within any draft, it will be solely men ages 18-26. Again, the irony bites Trump hard here,” Lee told The Mirror US.
“The law passed in 2025 would require every male citizen to register. But, interestingly enough, the very people the Trump Administration wants to deport from this country could also be subject to any draft. This includes refugees, people seeking/granted asylum and green card holders,” Lee continued.
Registration not limited to U.S. citizens
His point, however, was that U.S. citizenship isn’t necessarily the dividing line.
“If you are residing in the US, you are eligible – and that would obviously cover refugees, asylum seekers, green card holders, and even undocumented immigrants,” Lee said. “The only caveats to avoiding a draft notice include conscientious objectors or any kind of law/regulation that bars citizens from certain countries.”
The SSS confirms the broader point behind Lee’s argument: registration is not limited to U.S. citizens. Almost all male immigrants living in the U.S. between 18 and 25 are required to register, including undocumented immigrants – the very people Trump has aggressively been eliminating from the country – although certain non-immigrants on valid visas are exempt. of
‘A matter of politics’
Registering with the SSS, however, does not mean someone would automatically be sent into the military. A draft does not currently exist, and if one were authorized, additional rules would determine who was ultimately called to serve.
For Lee, that distinction doesn’t eliminate the political problem Trump could face if conscription ever became necessary.
“Bottom line the eligibility issue does not, according to the statute, have any exceptions. The practical application of drafting non-citizen residents/undocumented immigrants is a matter of politics,” he said.
‘A house on top of an active volcano’
For now, however, Lee sees little reason to believe the U.S. will actually need to revive the draft, pointing to the kind of military campaign being fought in Iran.
“In a conflict which would largely be fought in Gulf waters and by air – either by carrier-based aircraft, land-based heavy bombers (B-1, B-2 etc.) – there is very little likelihood of a draft,” Lee told The Mirror.
“The reason is simple: invading Iran with ground forces has the same practical military sense as would building a house on top of an active volcano…And frankly, it’s all just deflection politics for Trump to avoid admitting a serious misjudgment or mistake.”
Lee’s assessment remains hypothetical, with no military draft currently on the table.
If Trump decides to send ground troops into Iran and a military draft becomes necessary, how do you think he would handle the contradiction created by his own immigration policies? Please let us know what you think and then share this story so we can get the conversation started!
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