13/03/2026
US President Donald Trump has ordered thousands of US Marines and warships to deploy to the Middle East as Iran ramps up attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears of escalating conflict.
Trump has sent thousands of US Marines and additional warships to the Middle East(Image: Getty Images)
Donald Trump has dispatched US Marines to the Middle East as Iran intensifies its assaults in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pentagon is sending a Marine expeditionary unit and additional warships to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate in the Strait of Hormuz. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved a request from U.S. Central Command for an element of an amphibious ready group and an attached Marine expeditionary unit, which typically includes several warships and around 5,000 Marines and sailors, according to three U.S. officials.
The move comes amid ongoing Iranian attacks targeting shipping in the Strait, which have driven up global oil, shipping, and insurance costs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that U.S. Navy escorts for commercial vessels could begin “soon,” noting that the disruptions have already cost the U.S. $11 billion. Before any escorts are deployed, sources said the military is planning potential operations to neutralize land-based Iranian anti-ship missiles in the area.
All six crew members aboard a KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq on Thursday have died, U.S. Central Command confirmed. In total, 13 U.S. servicemembers have been killed in action during Operation Epic Fury, following the tanker crash.
The deployment will bring thousands of Marines, several warships, and F-35 fighter jets to the region to bolster the forces already present, a U.S. official said. The Marine expeditionary unit will be capable of conducting ground operations if ordered, though officials declined to comment on whether that option will be used.
At a news conference on Friday, Hegseth emphasized the U.S. strategy against Iran. “We’re on plan to defeat, destroy, disable all of their meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before,” he said. “But it’s not just that Iran doesn’t have a functioning Air Force, or that their entire Navy is at the bottom of the Persian Gulf, or their missile force is shrinking daily. They also don’t have the ability to build more. That’s the most important component I’d like to emphasize today.”
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine added that U.S. Central Command will continue to target the Iranian Navy to ensure freedom of navigation, including efforts to dismantle Iran’s mine-laying capabilities and prevent attacks on commercial vessels.
The Tripoli Expeditionary Strike Group being deployed includes the USS Tripoli, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, and the guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta.
President Trump commented on the situation, saying it is unlikely that Iranians will rise up against the regime in the near term and that he would “feel it in my bones” when the Iran war should end.
