The US has deployed nearly 7,000 troops, including Marine Expeditionary Units and 82nd Airborne Division soldiers, to West Asia amid tensions with Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US objectives can be achieved without ground troops, but military presence provides strategic flexibility.
Strategic assets such as Kharg Island and the Strait of Hormuz are emerging as potential flashpoints if the conflict escalates further.
Trump Signals No Immediate Iran Invasion, But Troop Surge Raises Stakes
The US has deployed nearly 7,000 troops to West Asia, signalling strategic pressure on Iran while keeping the option of a ground invasion open amid ongoing tensions
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The Trump administration on Friday signalled no immediate plans for a ground invasion of Iran amid the rapid deployment of thousands of troops to West Asia, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. However, the report quoted the sources as saying that US President Donald Trump could change his mind at any moment or go ahead with an attack, hinting at heightened uncertainty surrounding the evolving geopolitical landscape.
The US troops deployed in the Arabian Peninsula are to serve various roles, including the evacuation of US citizens. However, amid a lack of conflict resolution, the troop build-up is creating a heightened sense of strategic ambiguity about US intentions, the report said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US can achieve its objectives in Iran without the use of ground troops, but their presence gives Trump options. “The president has to be prepared for multiple contingencies, which I’m not going to discuss in the media,” Rubio told reporters. “We can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops.
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But we are always going to be prepared to give the president maximum optionality and maximum opportunity to adjust to contingencies should they emerge.” Rubio met with G7 representatives in France on Friday in a bid to secure international support from allies. He told his counterparts that the war would be over in weeks, not months, the report said.
The US Defense Department has deployed two Marine Expeditionary Units, nearly 5,000 troops in total, to West Asia. The department has also ordered the deployment of about 2,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, the Bloomberg report said.
These military developments are being viewed as Trump’s attempt at gearing up for a full-blown ground attack, including a potential scenario of capturing Kharg Island, seizing Iranian nuclear material, or occupying the coastline near the Strait of Hormuz.
The report also cited a White House official as saying that Tehran will face consequences harder than ever before if it fails to make a deal. Last week, Iran declined Washington’s 15-point peace plan. The US and Israel launched the latest round of strikes even after the parties agreed to another round of talks over the country’s nuclear programme.
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