Pentagon considering sending 10K troops to the Middle East: report
The Pentagon is reportedly considering a plan to send an additional 10,000 troops to the Middle East amid the war with Iran.
The potential deployment would likely include infantry and armored vehicles and would be on top of the 5,000 Marines and sailors and roughly 2,000 members of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division who have already been dispatched to the region, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“All announcements regarding troop deployments will come from the Department of War,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the outlet. “
As we have said, President Trump always has all military options at his disposal.
The reinforcements would provide President Trump with an even wider range of military operations, including potentially putting troops on the ground, as his administration pushes for a peace deal with Iran.
It’s unclear exactly where the 10,000 troops would be deployed, but they would likely be “within striking distance of Iran and Kharg Island,” according to the Journal.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment. The Pentagon declined to comment.
The Trump administration has discussed using ground forces on Iranian shores to secure the Strait of Hormuz and Kharg Island, Reuters reported last week.
The possibility of using US troops to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium has also been discussed, according to the outlet.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned Wednesday that Trump is “prepared to unleash hell” on Iran if it won’t “come to a deal.”
“President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell,” Leavitt told reporters. “Iran should not miscalculate again. Their last miscalculation cost them their senior leadership, their navy, their air force and their air defense system.”
The Iranian regime has thus far responded with hostility – at least publicly – to a 15-point peace plan presented by the US through Pakistan.
