Hundreds of U.S. special operations personnel, including Navy SEALs and Army Rangers
By Bernie,
Hundreds of U.S. special operations personnel, including Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, have deployed to the Middle East alongside Marines and Army paratroopers, CBS News reports citing multiple sources. The deployments are intended to give President Trump options in Iran, including potential operations involving the Strait of Hormuz, Kharg Island, or Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.
Pentagon officials have made detailed preparations for deploying ground forces into Iran, CBS reports, with senior military commanders submitting specific requests to prepare for that option. The military has also held meetings on how to handle the possible detention of Iranian soldiers and paramilitary operatives, including where they would be sent. The planning involves the Army's Global Response Force and a Marine Expeditionary Unit. A second MEU of approximately 2,200 Marines departed California this week aboard three warships, with the first unit still making its way from the Pacific.
Trump told reporters he is "not putting troops anywhere" but added: "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you." The White House said the preparations are intended to give the commander-in-chief "maximum optionality" and do not indicate a decision has been made.
Flight tracking data compiled by OSINT analysts shows a sustained pattern of special operations airlift flights from U.S. bases to forward staging locations in the Middle East throughout March, consistent with a large-scale SOF deployment to the region.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, IDF
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