U.S. Deploys 2,500 Marines to Middle East as Iran Attacks Strait
About 2,500 Marines aboard three warships are being sent from the Indo-Pacific to reinforce U.S. forces amid Iranian attacks on the Strait of Hormuz.
4:28 PM
Approximately 2,500 Marines aboard as many as three warships are being deployed to the Middle East from the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. officials said Friday. The deployment comes as Iran has intensified attacks on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the northern Arabian Sea.
The shift in forces follows nearly two weeks of aerial bombardment and long-range artillery strikes, according to officials. Iran's response to these operations has proved more resilient than Trump administration officials anticipated, prompting the decision to send additional personnel and vessels to the region.
The Marines will join more than 50,000 American troops already stationed in the Middle East. U.S. officials said it remained unclear how the new deployment would be utilized operationally.
Iran's attacks on and near the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted maritime traffic through the essential waterway, affecting global economic activity. The strait's strategic importance stems from its role as a major shipping corridor; Iran's southern coastline runs along the waterway, and military and civilian vessels transiting through are routinely questioned by Iranian authorities.
The deployment was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal.