US paratroopers ‘start deploying in the Middle East’

News agency Reuters Quoting two US officials familiar with the situation on March 30, the paratrooper force deployed in the Middle East will include a combat brigade, part of the division command and logistics and support units. The location of this force is unknown.

One of the two officials added that the US has not yet made a decision to pour troops into Iran, but the move to deploy part of the 82nd Airborne Division will help strengthen forces for future regional campaigns.

The US Department of Defense has not commented on the information.

Newspaper New York Times On March 23, citing unnamed US defense officials, the brigade being considered for dispatch to the Middle East is the “Immediate Response Force”, consisting of about 3,000 soldiers and capable of being ready to depart anywhere in the world within 18 hours of receiving orders.

News agency AP Then, citing three well-informed sources, the US military was preparing to dispatch at least 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.

The 82nd Airborne Division is a highly mobile assault unit of the US Army, specializing in parachute and airborne operations, seizing airports and protecting areas while waiting for reinforcements. The disadvantage of this unit is that it does not carry heavy equipment, such as tanks and armored vehicles, so it lacks the ability to defend in case the enemy counterattacks on a large scale.

The 82nd Airborne Division’s Immediate Response Force has been deployed multiple times in recent years, including to the Middle East in January 2020 after the US embassy in Baghdad was attacked, to Afghanistan in August 2021 to assist with evacuations, and to Eastern Europe in 2022 to support operations in Ukraine.

US media in early March reported on discussions within President Trump’s administration regarding the campaign to occupy Kharg Island, considered Iran’s “oil lifeline”. US officials are also said to be considering the possibility of deploying forces into Iranian territory to retrieve enriched uranium or ensure the safety of oil ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

However, experts warn that landing troops on Kharg Island would be a strong escalation, requiring a large-scale, prolonged and potentially risky campaign, potentially causing serious consequences, even within the United States.

Just approaching the island is extremely dangerous, as the landing force will have to move through the Strait of Hormuz, which is blocked by Iran. This also puts US forces in the sights of ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles and drones, weapons that will be continuously launched from the coast and deep inland.