If deployed, this force will add about 5,000 marines and 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division that have been ordered to the Middle East before. The reinforced units are likely to include infantry, armored vehicles and logistics forces.
Incumbent and retired US officials said that President Donald Trump has not yet ordered direct infantry into Iranian territory. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio also said on March 27 that this option may not be necessary.
Announcements related to troop deployments will be made by the Department of War. As we have emphasized, President Trump always has full military options in hand" - White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.
If Mr. Trump orders deployment, these 17,000 soldiers could be used to control strategic positions such as islands off the southern Iranian coast or some sections of the coast. This force could also be tasked with protecting about 440kg of Iranian enriched uranium, material that Tehran could use to develop nuclear weapons.
However, any mission is complex and dangerous. Former officials pointed out that a battle for the bridgehead near Bandar Abbas - Iran's main naval headquarters or on Kharg Island - Iran's important oil export center, could cause heavy casualties to the US.
US forces can also target islands around the Strait of Hormuz such as Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, thereby helping to reopen this strategic maritime route. From here, the US can support protecting ships from Iranian missiles and drones, and conduct ground attacks on Iranian territory.
According to retired Vice Admiral John Miller - former commander of the US Navy in the Middle East, a force of 17,000 troops is not enough to control any area in the long term, especially when facing fire from Iran. These threats will need to be neutralized by air power.
In the current context of conflict, US forces, if they want to control Iranian territory, will need intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance systems, along with logistics and casualty evacuation capabilities to support, according to retired General Joseph Votel - former commander of the US Central Command and the US Special Operations Command.
The control of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile may be carried out by special forces and other units, but this will be an extremely complex task. Most of this material is believed to be buried under the rubble of facilities that were bombed by the US in June last year.
Even if the 17,000 additional troops do not enter Iran, the US threat to deploy in the Middle East can still serve another goal: Creating strategic leverage.
“The number one task is to build a strategic message that we are serious and the President has many options. Clearly, the information factor plays a very large role in this issue,” Votel noted.
