NYT: Pentagon deploys thousands of US paratroopers to Middle East

The Pentagon has ordered around 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy to the Middle East, The New York Times reports, citing two U.S. defense sources.

The task force comes from the Immediate Response Force (IRF), a brigade of roughly 3,000 troops capable of global deployment within 18 hours. The contingent includes two battalions of about 800 soldiers each. Additional IRF personnel may be sent to the region in the coming days, Pentagon sources said.

Alongside approximately 4,500 Marines already heading to the area, the deployment of 2,000 paratroopers raises the total number of additional U.S. and allied ground forces in the conflict zone to nearly 7,000, marking a new phase of escalation, according to the NYT. Overall, Operation “Epic Fury” involves about 50,000 troops from the U.S., Europe, and Middle Eastern countries.

Sources told NYT that U.S. paratroopers may be positioned within striking distance of Iran, potentially to seize Khark Island — a major Iranian oil export hub in the northern Persian Gulf. Later this week, around 2,300 U.S. Marines from the 31st Expeditionary Corps are expected to arrive, possibly supporting operations on Khark or helping to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. No heavy armour or protective vehicles will accompany the paratroopers, limiting their defence against potential Iranian counterattacks.

The report follows NYT coverage that the U.S. has sent Iran a 15-point plan to end hostilities in the Middle East, addressing issues including Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, as well as maritime navigation. High-level U.S.–Iran talks may take place as soon as March 26, according to Axios.