The Trump administration is weighing whether to deploy thousands of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East as the Iran war enters its third week, according to Reuters. The discussions also include options for protecting oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Why ground-force options carry risk
Any move toward U.S. ground forces would carry both military and political risk. Even a limited mission could conflict with President Donald Trump’s past promises to avoid new Middle East conflicts and could draw backlash from parts of his base, even as he has refused to rule out “boots on the ground.”
A Data for Progress survey found 68% opposed sending U.S. soldiers on the ground in Iran, while 26% supported it.
What officials are considering
Sources cited by Reuters said any mission would rely primarily on air and naval forces. But securing the Strait could, in some scenarios, involve deploying U.S. troops to Iran’s shoreline.
The administration has also discussed options involving Iran’s Kharg Island, which Reuters described as the hub for 90% of Iran’s oil exports. The U.S. struck military targets on the island on March 13, and Trump has threatened to strike critical oil infrastructure there.
One U.S. official told Reuters such an operation would be highly risky, given Iran’s ability to strike the island with missiles and drones.
A White House official said there has been no decision to send ground troops “at this time,” adding that Trump is keeping options open and remains focused on the objectives of “Operation Epic Fury” — destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capacity, “annihilat[ing] their navy,” ensuring its proxies cannot destabilize the region and preventing Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon.
How the military picture is shifting
Officials have also discussed deploying U.S. forces to secure Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium. However, sources said no such deployment appeared imminent, and outside experts described the task as complex and high-risk, even for special operations forces.
The broader U.S. military posture in the region is also shifting. An Amphibious Ready Group will arrive next week with a Marine Expeditionary Unit of more than 2,000 Marines.
One source told Reuters the U.S. would reduce its available forces when the USS Gerald R. Ford heads to Greece for maintenance following a fire on board.
