The Pentagon has ordered the deployment of approximately 2,000 soldiers from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, as President Donald Trump considers both military and diplomatic options regarding Iran, two Defence Department officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The troops are part of the division’s “Immediate Response Force,” a brigade of roughly 3,000 personnel trained to deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
The deployment includes Maj. Gen. Brandon R. Tegtmeier, the division commander, along with dozens of senior staff members and two battalions of about 800 troops each, the officials said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of operational details, they added that additional brigade forces could follow in the coming days.
Combined with nearly 4,500 Marines already heading to the region, the latest move brings the total number of additional US ground troops sent since the conflict began to around 7,000, marking a significant escalation.
Overall, about 50,000 troops are assigned to the broader mission, which the Pentagon has named Operation Epic Fury, spanning deployments across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
Officials have not disclosed the exact destination of the paratroopers, but indicated that they would be positioned within striking distance of Iran.
One potential objective could be Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal in the northern Persian Gulf, where US warplanes recently struck more than 90 military targets earlier this month.
Meanwhile, around 2,300 Marines from the 31st Expeditionary Unit are expected to reach the Middle East later this week. Commanders could deploy them either to seize Kharg Island or to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed to most commercial shipping.
Another Marine contingent of similar size from the 11th Expeditionary Unit departed Southern California last week and is scheduled to arrive in the region by mid-April, according to Pentagon sources.
Military experts noted that recent US airstrikes damaged the airfield on Kharg Island, making it more practical to deploy Marines first.
Their combat engineers could rapidly restore the airport infrastructure, enabling the Air Force to bring in additional personnel and equipment via C-130 cargo aircraft.
In such a scenario, the 82nd Airborne troops could later reinforce Marine units. However, officials cautioned that while paratroopers can deploy quickly, they lack heavy equipment such as armoured vehicles, which would be critical if Iranian forces launched a counterattack.
