The US is said to be preparing to deploy an amphibious strike group and a naval expeditionary unit to the Middle East to strengthen forces in the context of increasing regional conflict.
On March 13 (US time), the Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed US officials as saying that US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had approved the US Central Command's request to deploy a part of the Tripoli amphibious operations group and Marine Corps Unit 31 to the area.
An official said that two ships of the Tripoli amphibious assault group, currently stationed in Japan, are moving to the Middle East and may participate in attacks targeting Iran. The USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship is equipped with F-35B stealth fighters.
The Pentagon is also said to be considering a proposal to deploy two more destroyers to support escorting cargo ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The US Department of War has not commented on this information.
According to some experts, the amphibious assault group is a rapid reaction force, often performing amphibious assault and special operations missions. Each group includes an amphibious assault ship, two amphibious transport ships and a support ship, accompanied by a Marine Expeditionary Unit with about 2,000 soldiers.
The Marine Expeditionary Unit is assessed to be highly flexible, capable of carrying out many tasks such as attacking targets on land, controlling at sea, landing and logistical support.
The deployment of the USS Tripoli to the Middle East may cause the US to continue to reduce its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Previously, the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group left the area to participate in the Iran offensive campaign.
According to US officials, even if forces are strengthened, the task of escorting ships across the Strait of Hormuz cannot be deployed until the threat from Iran subsides. This process could take about a month or longer, while the US continues to attack Iran's missile and drone stockpiles.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright expressed hope that Washington could begin escorting ships across the Strait of Hormuz from next month.
Before the conflict broke out, the US had 12 warships in the area under the Central Command and 7 others in the eastern Mediterranean. If the plan to deploy more warships is approved, Washington may have to withdraw some forces from areas such as the Pacific and Caribbean.
