The Pentagon is expected to send thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, adding to a massive U.S. military buildup even as President Donald Trump talks about a possible deal with Tehran to end the war. This is a move that would expand options to include deployment of forces inside Iranian territory. Such an escalation could dramatically raise the stakes in the conflict, which is already in its fourth week and has roiled global markets. The 82nd Airborne Division, which can deploy within 18 hours of receiving orders, specializes in carrying out parachute assaults.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not specify where in the Middle East the troops would go or when they would arrive in the region. The soldiers are stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. One of the sources said the Pentagon was set to send between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers. The soldiers’ deployment follows Reuters’ March 20 report about the U.S. decision to send thousands of Marines and sailors aboard the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, along with its Marine Expeditionary Unit and accompanying warships to the Middle East. Prior to the additional forces being sent to the region, there were 50,000 U.S. troops there.
