The US military is preparing to deploy massive military reinforcements to the Middle East, including about 3,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, one of the army's elite units, as part of its preparations for possible operations against Iran , according to US military and press sources on Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the order to deploy the 82nd Division's combat brigade could come within the next few hours, while ABC News confirmed that the soldiers would leave for their designated destination as soon as the order was issued.
A US official explained that the division is capable of deploying its forces anywhere in the Middle East within 18 hours of receiving orders.
The troops are currently based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The unit was previously sent to Poland in 2022 prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and was the last to leave Kabul when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
This expected deployment comes after other reinforcements that included the deployment of thousands of Marines and sailors aboard the USS Boxer last week, along with the Marine Expeditionary Unit and its accompanying ships.
American media had indicated the possibility that the operations would include an attempt to seize control of the strategic Iranian island of Kharg, which exports about 90% of Iranian crude oil, to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The White House confirmed that the US military could “neutralize” the island at any time if President Donald Trump gave the order.
This development comes just one day after Trump postponed his threats to bomb Iranian power plants, announcing what he described as fruitful talks with Iran, while Tehran denied holding any talks with the US president.
So far, no official order has been issued to deploy the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, and a US official indicates that the final decision is still pending at the White House, while the Trump administration continues its preparations for a range of possible operations in the region.
