Information that the US military is deploying up to 50,000 soldiers in the Middle East is revealed in the context of President Donald Trump considering the next step in the Iran conflict.
Typically, there are about 40,000 US troops stationed scattered at bases and on warships in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
However, as President Trump escalated the conflict in Iran, that number has risen to more than 50,000, a US military official said.
The total number of soldiers does not include 4,500 soldiers on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford. The ship has encountered many continuous incidents, including a fire in the laundry area.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford withdrew from the area on March 23rd and went to Crete. On March 27th, USS Gerald Ford arrived in Croatia. The next destination of this US aircraft carrier is still unknown.
Last week, the Pentagon also ordered the deployment of about 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division of the Army to the Middle East.
The position of the army paratroopers is not public, but according to revelations, this force will be within Iran's attack range.
Paratroopers could be used to seize Kharg Island - Iran's main oil export center in the northern Persian Gulf. US fighter jets bombed more than 90 military targets on Kharg Island earlier this month.
Airborne forces can also be deployed for other ground operations in coordination with the Marine Corps.
Although the mission of the soldiers of Marine Corps Expeditionary Unit 31 has not been clearly defined, US officials noted that President Donald Trump is considering whether to try a larger attack, such as occupying Kharg Island or other land in an effort to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that usually transports about 20% of the world's oil, has been closed in the context of Iranian forces retaliating against the US and Israel.
Military experts warn that even with 50,000 soldiers, this is a small number for any major ground operation.
Israel used more than 300,000 soldiers for operations in the Gaza Strip when the conflict broke out in October 2023. The US-led coalition attacking Iraq in 2003 also had nearly 250,000 soldiers at the initial time.
With an area nearly equal to 1/3 of the US mainland, Iran has about 93 million people. Military experts say that with only 50,000 troops, occupation, not to mention maintaining position, in a country with scale, complexity and powerful weapons, is not feasible.
