US preparing for ground operation in Iran, CBS reports
Photo: US Army troops are already preparing for deployment to the Middle East (Getty Images)
The Pentagon is preparing to deploy US ground forces to Iran. Thousands of Marines are currently being sent to the Middle East, according to CBS News.
According to sources, senior military commanders have submitted specific requests aimed at preparing for such a scenario.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump is weighing his options in the conflict with Iran. He is considering whether to deploy ground forces to the region, and it remains unclear under what circumstances he would authorize their use.
What is known about the US troop preparations
"No, I'm not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you," Trump said in the Oval Office on March 19, according to CBS News.
CBS News reached out to US Central Command for comment; questions were redirected to the White House and the Pentagon.
"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, and as the President said in the Oval Office yesterday, he is not planning to send ground troops anywhere at this time," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said.
Two sources reported that the military also held meetings to prepare for the possible detention of Iranian soldiers and members of paramilitary groups if Trump does decide to send US troops.
CBS News reports that the US is preparing to deploy units of the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. Planning involves the Army’s Global Response Force and the Marine Corps’ Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Thousands of Marines
Thousands of Marines are currently being deployed to the Middle East. According to two US officials, three naval ships and about 2,200 Marines from an expeditionary unit left California earlier this week.
This is already the second such Marine unit sent since the start of the war, and it may take several weeks before it reaches its positions. The first unit was deployed from the Pacific region and is still en route to its destination.
The report notes that these movements highlight the Pentagon’s efforts to expand the military options available to the president.
In the US, expectations are rising for a potential escalation of the military operation. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that about 65% of Americans believe Trump could decide to send troops to Iran, though only 7% support such a move.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already accelerated weapons shipments worth billions of dollars to allies in the region — including the UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan — bypassing Congress.
Notably, the amphibious group led by USS Boxer and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit departed from the US West Coast ahead of the scheduled timeline.
