The Pentagon is preparing to deploy elements of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, according to multiple U.S. officials cited by several news outlets. The deployment would add new ground forces to a U.S. buildup already underway in the region.
Defense officials speaking to those outlets said the deployment could include a command element and ground troops.
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Officials say the deployment could involve fewer than 1,500 troops, while others estimates put the number closer to 3,000 soldiers pulled from the Army’s Immediate Response Force.
According to The Washington Post, written orders have been approved for troops from the division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team and its headquarters at Fort Bragg, according to U.S. officials.
Some of those troops could deploy within days, according to CNN, with officials describing the timeline as near-term.
The New York Times first reported that the Pentagon was considering sending elements of the 82nd Airborne to support operations tied to Iran.
US expands troop presence
The deployment adds to forces already moving into the region. Thousands of Marines are heading in, including a Marine expeditionary unit of about 2,200 troops now en route to the region, with additional forces behind it.
U.S. Central Command says American forces have carried out more than 9,000 strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, including missile systems, naval assets, and defense production sites.
Officials say no order has been given to send U.S. ground troops into Iran. The additional forces give the Pentagon more military options if the conflict widens.
Their arrival could bring the number of additional U.S. ground troops sent to the region to nearly 7,000.
Planning center on rapid-response forces
The 82nd Airborne is the Army’s rapid-response force, capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours, according to CNN.
Military planners are weighing how those troops to support Marine units already in the region, including potential operations targeting key oil infrastructure such as Kharg Island, which handles the vast majority of Iran’s oil exports.
The Pentagon has not detailed specific missions for the airborne units. Officials describe the deployment as part of active planning tied to current operations.
White House points to negotiations
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. is engaged in negotiations with Iran involving senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
“We’re in the negotiations right now,” Trump said. “They’re doing it along with Marco, JD. We have a number of people doing it. And the other side, I can tell you, they’d like to make a deal.”
Iran has publicly denied that direct talks are underway.
No final deployment announcement
The Pentagon has not issued a formal timeline or final order for the deployment. The Pentagon will announce any deployment through the Defense Department.
The additional forces would join roughly 50,000 U.S. troops already in the region.
