- US Central Command deployed 3,500 Marines and sailors aboard USS Tripoli to the Middle East
- This marks the largest US military buildup in the region in 20 years
- Iran warned US troops they will leave only in coffins if they enter Iranian soil
In a major addition of forces in the Middle East after a month of war with Iran, the US Central Command announced that 3,500 Marines and sailors aboard the USS Tripoli arrived in the Middle East on Saturday. This makes it the largest US buildup in the Middle East in 20 years.
"U.S. Sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 27," CENTCOM said in a post on X.
Photos posted by CENTCOM show soldiers in combat fatigues wearing helmets and goggles. The Marines supplement the 50,000 US troops already stationed in the Middle East.
The assault ship also carries transport and strike fighter aircraft as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets along with the Marines.
The amphibious assault ship, USS Tripoli, as well as the elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit that are aboard, are based in Japan. They were conducting exercises in the area around Taiwan when they were ordered to be deployed to the Middle East almost two weeks ago.
Apart from the Tripoli, the USS Boxer and two other ships, along with another Marine Expeditionary Unit, have also been ordered to the Middle East from San Diego.
Ground Operation In Iran?
The move has fuelled speculation that Washington is preparing for the possibility of a ground operation inside Iran. The potential deployment would represent a major increase in America's military footprint in the region despite US President Donald Trump's repeated insistence that Tehran is engaged in peace talks with Washington aimed at ending the conflict.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the extra troops are intended to give Trump a wider range of military options in a Middle East that has been at war since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28. The reinforcements would join thousands of paratroopers and Marines who have already been sent to the area.
Trump has consistently said he has no intention of committing ground troops to combat operations against Iran. It remains unclear exactly where the additional American forces would be based.
The Wall Street Journal reported that they would most likely be positioned within striking distance of Iran itself and of Kharg Island, the vital oil-export terminal lying just off the Iranian coast.
Iran's "Coffin" Warning For US Troops
Meanwhile, the front page of Iran's English-language daily, the Tehran Times, today carries a warning to Washington under the headline "Welcome To Hell". It states that any US troops who set foot on Iranian soil will "leave only in a coffin".
