The United States military dispatched its 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli toward the Middle East shortly after President Donald Trump said American forces had struck military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island. Although the deployment does not necessarily signal preparations for a ground invasion, it marks a potential escalation in the US-Israel war on Iran. The deployment of the new unit has sparked buzz about US launching ground strikes on Iran. During the Lebanon crisis in 1958, nearly 15,000 marines were deployed to Beirut to restore stability. In 2023, the US military dispatched its 26th MEU with USS Bataan and other warships in response to seizures of oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz by the IRGC.

Source: The Telegraph March 14, 2026 12:21 UTC