The United States is deploying roughly 5,000 additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East as the war involving Iran intensifies, NBC News cited three US officials as saying.
The deployment includes an Amphibious Ready Group and Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU), comprising around 2,500 Marines and 2,500 sailors, officials said as per the news outlet.
Crisis response unit activated
The Marines assigned to the deployment are part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, based in Japan. The unit is the United States Marine Corps’ only permanently forward-deployed MEU.
Marine Expeditionary Units are designed for rapid crisis response missions, including evacuating civilians from conflict zones, protecting embassies and establishing entry points for other military forces.
Amphibious ships moving West
The sailors are attached to the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, which includes three ships:
-USS New Orleans (LPD-18)
CENTCOM requested additional forces
Officials said the deployment was requested by United States Central Command as part of contingency planning for the conflict.
“Part of the plan for this war was to have Marines available to provide options for use,” one US official said.
The move adds to the growing US military presence in the region as Washington prepares for a range of possible contingencies tied to the ongoing conflict.
Iran shows resolve despite leadership loss
The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to demonstrate that it remains intact and in control, despite the death of its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, at the start of the US-Israeli military campaign on February 28.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son, has been named the new supreme leader. However, he has remained absent from public view and is reported to be wounded. The situation has heightened Washington and Tel Aviv’s focus on him, with indications that both countries may target him directly.
US reward for key Iranian leaders
The US government has unveiled a $10-million reward for information on Mojtaba Khamenei’s whereabouts, along with nine other senior Iranian officials, including the interior minister and intelligence minister.
“These individuals command and direct elements of Iran’s military and intelligence apparatus,” a US State Department statement said, referring to the officials’ roles in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
President Donald Trump, commenting on the campaign via social media, described the killings of Iran’s leadership as a “great honour,” adding that the targeted figures are “deranged scumbags.”
Strait of Hormuz tensions
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have effectively closed off the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supplies pass. The move has caused global concern over oil shipments, as the strait connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and is a critical chokepoint for energy trade.
US and Israeli forces continue to monitor the situation closely, with military officials emphasizing readiness to respond to any escalation.