US deploys thousands more troops as Strait of Hormuz crisis widens war with Iran

As Iran blocks the world’s most important choke point for oil, the United States is deploying thousands of additional troops to the Middle East. Reports indicate that between 2,500 and 5,000 additional US Marines and sailors are being sent to the region along with amphibious warships, including the USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, to provide the administration and field commanders with a wider array of military options to target Iran and to open up the Strait of Hormuz. By threatening the shipping lanes, Iran seeks to add to the economic costs on the United States and its allies and force an end to the war. The Trump administration might consider using the newly arriving assets to escort oil tankers. 

Marine Expeditionary Units are among the most versatile formations in the US military. Designed to be rapidly deployable, they are often the first forces sent into a crisis zone to establish staging areas for larger follow-on deployments. Their training emphasises expeditionary warfare, crisis response and evacuation operations from dangerous or contested environments.

Although President Donald Trump has rejected immediate plans to deploy special forces inside Iran to secure the country’s remaining uranium stockpiles, he has not ruled out the possibility of putting American troops on the ground as the conflict evolves. “At some point we might be,” Trump said, suggesting that the option remains under consideration if the situation deteriorates further.

The deployment of additional troops comes as the United States and Israel continue an intense bombing campaign against Iranian military infrastructure. Roughly two weeks into the operation, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said coalition fighter jets had already struck more than 15,000 targets across the country. According to the Pentagon, the sustained air campaign has severely degraded Iran’s conventional military capabilities. American officials claim that Iran’s navy, air force and air defence networks have been largely neutralised, while its ability to launch missiles and attack drones has been reduced by more than 90 per cent.

Coalition strikes are also targeting Iran’s defence industrial base in an effort to prevent the country from rebuilding its weapons production capabilities. Military planners argue that destroying manufacturing facilities, storage depots and logistics hubs will limit Tehran’s ability to replenish its arsenal even if hostilities subside.

Highlighting the scale of the campaign, Trump said the US carried out yesterday one of the most powerful bombing raids in Middle Eastern history on Kharg Island, which he described as the “crown jewel” of Iran’s strategic infrastructure. According to the president, every military target on the island was destroyed during the strike. Trump added that the United States deliberately avoided attacking Kharg Island’s oil infrastructure for what he described as “reasons of decency”. However, he warned that the restraint could be reconsidered if Iran continues to interfere with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict has nonetheless inflicted casualties and broader geopolitical consequences. Thirteen American service members have been killed, including six Air Force crew members who died when a refuelling tanker crashed over western Iraq during combat operations. Inside Iran, authorities say more than 2,000 people have been killed, including over 170 young students reportedly killed in a missile strike on an elementary school, which the Pentagon says it is investigating. The US has also offered a $10 million reward for information on Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is reportedly injured and in hiding. 

Meanwhile, the war has severely disrupted global oil supplies, pushing crude prices above $100 a barrel. The International Energy Agency says the two weeks of fighting have caused the greatest disruption to the global oil supply in world history, forcing the Trump administration to lift sanctions on Russian oil. This policy shift has drawn sharp criticism from European allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who argue that lifting sanctions will boost Russian aggression and fail to solve the fundamental price problem.