The Pentagon has ordered the deployment of 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, according to information published in The New York Times, citing sources within the U.S. military.
This group is being formed from the Immediate Response Force (IRF), which consists of a brigade of approximately 3,000 servicemen who can be deployed anywhere in the world within 18 hours. As sources told NYT, the contingent will include two battalions, each comprising about 800 soldiers. Pentagon representatives added that additional troop deployments from the IRF to the Middle East are expected in the coming days.
Considering the 4,500 Marines already heading to the region, the dispatch of 2,000 paratroopers increases the total number of additional ground troops deployed in the conflict zone to nearly 7,000. This also indicates a new escalation, as noted by NYT. A total of about 50,000 servicemen from Middle Eastern, European, and U.S. countries are participating in Operation "Epic Fury."
According to the newspaper's informants, American paratroopers will be sent to an area within reach of Iran. The U.S. is considering using them to seize the Iranian island of Khark, which is a key center for Iranian oil exports in the northern part of the Persian Gulf, the publication states.
This weekend, about 2,300 Marines from the 31st Expeditionary Unit are also expected to arrive in the region. The Pentagon may deploy them to seize Khark or to assist in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, according to NYT. Officials note that no heavy equipment, such as armored vehicles that could provide protection against potential counterattacks from Iranian forces, will be sent to the Middle East along with the paratroopers.
Recently, NYT reported that the U.S. has presented Iran with a 15-point plan regarding the cessation of hostilities in the Middle East. Sources from the publication claim that this list includes issues related to Iran's ballistic missile program, nuclear developments, and maritime shipping matters. Additionally, according to Axios, high-profile negotiations between the U.S. and Iran may take place on March 26. The publication also mentioned the 15-point plan.
