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Updated 14 March 2026 - US military reinforcements are en route to the Middle East as regional hostilities intensify, according to two officials briefed on the plans.
Deployment details
The Pentagon is dispatching an amphibious ready group and its Marine expeditionary unit, led by the USS Tripoli, a Japan-based amphibious assault ship. The unit typically includes around 5,000 sailors and Marines spread across multiple warships, the officials told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
Recent military actions
The move follows President Donald Trump's announcement that US forces had "totally obliterated" Iranian military infrastructure on Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil shipments. Trump also indicated that US Navy escorts for tankers in the strait would begin "soon."
Escalating conflict
Retaliatory strikes by Iran targeting Israel and US military bases across the region have disrupted international air travel hubs and sent oil prices surging. The Pentagon reported striking 6,000 Iranian targets over the past two weeks, with the conflict igniting on 28 February after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran's response
In his first public address, Iran's new Supreme Leader, 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei-son of the late Ayatollah-pledged to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz. A statement aired on Iranian state television quoted him vowing to "avenge the blood" of Iranians killed in the conflict and warning neighboring countries against hosting US military bases.
US military stance
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the US would show "no mercy for our enemies." Trump, meanwhile, suggested the conflict with Iran would persist until he deemed it resolved, remarking, "I feel it in my bones."
Additional reinforcements
The Wall Street Journal first reported the troop movement, noting the request for reinforcements came from US Central Command and was approved by Hegseth. The US is also relocating components of a missile defense system from South Korea to the Middle East, according to officials cited by the Washington Post and South Korean media.
The Pentagon and US military have not publicly confirmed the deployments, as future troop movements are typically withheld from disclosure.
