President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a deployment of 10,000 more troops to the Middle East to expand his military options against Iran.
Department of War officials told the Wall Street Journal that the deployment would be on top of the 5,000 Marines and thousands of 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers already ordered to the region. Such a deployment, if ordered, would indicate a higher likelihood of a ground operation on Iranian soil, such as on Kharg Island or islands securing the Strait of Hormuz.
When reached, a Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the report.
“All announcements regarding troop deployments will come from the Department of War. As we have said, President Trump always has all military options at his disposal,” Anna Kelly, deputy White House press secretary, told the Wall Street Journal.
Other reports echoed the high probability of escalation. Over half a dozen people familiar with discussions told CNN that Pentagon officials are preparing for a new phase in the war that could involve the seizure of various targets in Iran with ground troops.
After decimating much of Iran’s military and defense infrastructure in a blistering air campaign, many analysts believe the U.S. will have to deploy ground troops to seize key locations, such as Kharg Island, to secure victory. A ground deployment, even a limited one, would open up the high possibility of U.S. casualties, something Washington has little stomach for.
Though the U.S. and Israel have inflicted considerable casualties and damage against the Iranians, Tehran has been able to wreak havoc on the global economy by blockading the Strait of Hormuz and attacking Gulf oil infrastructure — two tactics that are noticeably difficult to counter. A ground deployment would likely be needed to put a complete halt to Iranian drone attacks on the Strait and against Gulf countries.
Trump has repeatedly said that the war with Iran is essentially over.
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“Well, we’ve already won the war. Militarily, we’ve totally won the war,” he told Fox News on Thursday when asked what a victory would look like.
Trump also gave the Iranians another 10 days for negotiations before he’d order strikes on Iranian power plants, a controversial move that could trigger a major humanitarian crisis if realized.
