Why is the U.S. Increasing Troops?

On the 20th, U.S. officials disclosed that the U.S. has dispatched three warships from the West Coast to transport the second Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East. Previously, a Marine Expeditionary Unit had already departed from Japan for the Middle East. What military forces is the U.S. increasing in the Middle East? What are the operational objectives? Will they succeed?

What military forces are being increased

On the 20th, anonymous U.S. officials told the media that the U.S. Navy's USS Boxer amphibious assault ship, USS Comstock dock landing ship, and USS Portland amphibious transport dock have departed from San Diego, California, carrying the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East. This expeditionary unit consists of approximately 2,500 Marines.

About a week ago, U.S. officials disclosed that the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship stationed in Japan had been ordered to transport the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East. The USS Tripoli is the U.S. military's latest amphibious ship, commissioned in 2020, and is known as the "big deck."

U.S. Marine Expeditionary Units typically consist of over 2,000 Marines, with ground forces equipped with armored vehicles and artillery, and air units equipped with MV-22 Ospreys, helicopters, and F-35 fighter jets.

Based on their locations, it will take at least three weeks for the three warships, including the USS Boxer, to reach the Middle East theater, while the USS Tripoli had already arrived in waters near Singapore earlier this week. Once assembled, the U.S. military presence in the Middle East will reach 50,000 personnel.

The last time the U.S. deployed a Marine Expeditionary Unit for combat was earlier this year during a raid in Venezuela. At that time, the USS Iwo Jima amphibious assault ship carried the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and Delta Force for military operations against Venezuela.

What are the operational objectives

Informed sources told the media that the troop increase will provide President Trump with more military options, including launching operations to "clear" the Strait of Hormuz, which would require deploying air and naval forces to the Iranian coastline.

To counter the U.S. and Israel, Iran is currently restricting navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, designating vessels associated with the U.S. and Israel as targets for attack. The "blockage" of this global energy transport route has caused international oil and gas prices to soar, exacerbating inflationary pressures in the U.S. Recently, Trump called on U.S. allies to send warships to participate in escorting through the Strait of Hormuz, but there was little response from allies.

According to informed sources, the Trump administration is also considering deploying ground forces to seize the vital oil-exporting island of Khark, with the aim of using it as leverage to force Iran to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Khark Island is located in the northwestern part of the Persian Gulf, about 25 kilometers from the Iranian coastline, measuring approximately 6 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide. It is Iran's largest crude oil export base, with 90% of Iran's crude oil exported from here.

On the 13th, the U.S. military conducted strikes on military targets on Khark Island but did not bomb the oil facilities on the island. Trump stated at the time that if Iran or other countries interfered with the free navigation of the Strait of Hormuz, he would "reconsider" the decision not to destroy the oil facilities on Khark Island.

Will it be easy to succeed?

Regarding the U.S. plan to "clear" the Strait of Hormuz, several military experts told U.S. media on the 20th that without deploying ground forces to control the Iranian coastline, it would be difficult for the U.S. to succeed.

Retired U.S. Army Major General James A. Marks said, "If airstrikes are found to be insufficient to weaken Iran's ability to fire on (U.S. and Israeli) vessels passing through the strait, you need to establish a buffer zone on the ground. That is why the U.S. Marine Corps is heading to the Middle East."

Jason H. Campbell, a senior research fellow on security issues at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., also believes that to "clear" the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military needs to control the Iranian coastline around the strait and establish a "buffer zone."

International media generally believe that sending ground forces to Iran or Khark Island would be a "dangerous and costly" operation. Some U.S. officials told the media that the plan to seize Khark Island carries "extreme risks" because the island is close to Iranian territory, exposing U.S. ground forces to Iranian missile and drone strikes.

On the other hand, analysts point out that given the low public support for U.S. military action against Iran, and with the U.S. "quick victory" attempt already failing, deploying ground forces could pose "great political risks" for the Trump administration.

A joint poll conducted by Reuters and Ipsos on the 19th showed that 59% of Americans disapprove of U.S. military action against Iran, with only 7% supporting the deployment of ground forces to combat Iran. An anonymous official from the White House recently told the media that the U.S. has not yet decided whether to send ground forces to Iran, "but President Trump retains all options."

Reporters: Wu Baoshu, Huang Qiang, Xu Jianmei