The Pentagon Continues to Increase Troops in the Middle East

According to a report by Reference News on March 26, the Wall Street Journal reported on March 23 that, according to two U.S. officials, thousands of U.S. Marines will arrive in the Middle East on the 27th. The 27th is the deadline set by President Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Officials stated that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, the amphibious dock landing ship USS New Orleans, and over 2,000 personnel from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit stationed in Japan will arrive at the U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for commanding U.S. forces in the Middle East, on the 27th. This unit will then need a few more days to reach the Strait of Hormuz.

The Pentagon has also ordered another Marine unit, currently stationed in California and equipped with the Amphibious Ready Group USS Boxer, to head to Central Command.

This unit will depart in a few weeks and will also need several weeks to reach Central Command.

According to a report by the New York Times, U.S. Department of Defense officials stated that senior military officials are considering deploying a combat brigade and some personnel from the headquarters of the 82nd Airborne Division to support U.S. military operations in Iran.

These officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the military's actions are part of a cautious plan, and the Pentagon or U.S. Central Command has not issued any orders yet.

These combat forces will come from the "Immediate Response Force" under the 82nd Airborne Division. This is a combat brigade of about 3,000 personnel that can be deployed anywhere in the world within 18 hours. These forces may be used to seize Iran's main oil export hub, Khark Island.

Another plan under consideration is that if President Trump authorizes U.S. forces to seize the island, approximately 2,500 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit heading to the region will launch an attack.

The airport on Khark Island has been damaged in recent U.S. bombings. Therefore, former U.S. commanders say that it is more likely that the U.S. will first send Marines, whose engineers can quickly repair the airport and other infrastructure. Once the airport is repaired, the Air Force can begin transporting supplies and reinforcements, and if necessary, personnel can be transported using C-130 aircraft.

In this scenario, personnel from the 82nd Airborne Division may reinforce the Marines. The advantage of airborne troops is that they can arrive at night. Officials stated that the downside is that airborne troops cannot bring any heavy equipment, such as heavy armored vehicles. If Iranian forces counterattack, this equipment would provide protection.

These officials said that the Marines lack the logistical support and sustained combat capability of the 82nd Airborne Division, which could take over from the Marines after the initial attack on the island.

The personnel from the 82nd Airborne Division's headquarters will serve as a subordinate headquarters responsible for mission planning and coordination in an increasingly complex battlefield environment. In early March, the Army suddenly canceled plans for this 300-person headquarters to go to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, for exercises.

Army officials said they decided to keep the division's command post at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in case the Pentagon orders the "Immediate Response Force" to go to the Middle East. The command post did not want to be caught off guard when orders were received.

In recent years, the 82nd Airborne Division's "Immediate Response Force" has received multiple emergency deployment notifications, including deploying to the Middle East after the embassy attack in Baghdad in January 2020, going to Afghanistan for evacuation operations in August 2021, and heading to Eastern Europe in 2022 to support Ukraine operations. (Translated by Li Sha)