Thousands of American Marines have arrived in the Middle East as Pentagon officials confirm preparations for ground operations in Iran that could extend over several weeks, according to defence sources.
The USS Tripoli docked in the region on Friday carrying 3,500 sailors and Marines from the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, who were redirected from exercises near Taiwan almost a fortnight ago.
Defence insiders described the preparations as a “major escalation,” though military planners have ruled out a full-scale invasion, The Washington Post reported. Instead, operations would rely on Special Operations forces supported by infantry units.
The Tripoli deployment brings transport aircraft, strike fighters and amphibious assault capabilities to the theatre, US Central Command confirmed. The vessel’s Marine unit specialises in intercepting ships and seizing territory, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Additional reinforcements are en route, with the USS Boxer and two accompanying vessels carrying another Marine Expeditionary Unit ordered to deploy from San Diego. Meanwhile, approximately 10,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division are being readied for potential deployment, sources told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
The military build-up follows the Iranian-backed Houthis’ entry into hostilities after launching an unsuccessful missile strike against Israel.
Whether President Donald Trump has approved the Pentagon’s operational plans remains unclear. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday: “It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the President has made a decision.”
The administration has sent contradictory signals about its intentions. On Friday, Mr Trump declared: “It’s sort of finished, but it’s not finished. It’s got to be finished.”
However, Ms Leavitt warned Tehran that if the regime failed to abandon its nuclear ambitions and threats, the President stood “prepared to unleash hell.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a meeting with American allies in France on Friday, insisted the conflict would not become “a prolonged” affair. He stated operations were ahead of schedule and suggested Washington “can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops.”
A former senior defence official told the Post that contingency planning had been extensive. “This is not last minute planning. We’ve looked at this. It’s been war-gamed,” they confirmed.
Timeline estimates from Pentagon sources ranged from “weeks, not months” to “a couple of months” for potential ground operations.
The conflict has already claimed at least 13 American lives, including six personnel killed in an Iraq plane crash and six in a drone attack on Port Shuaiba.
