The Department of War is gearing up to send thousands of troops from the Army’s 82nd Infantry Division to deploy to the Middle East, according to a source familiar with the plan.
The Pentagon is expected to announce the deployment of a 3,000-person brigade combat team from the elite North Carolina-based unit in support of the US and Israel’s war on Iran, the Wall Street Journal first reported.
One of the military’s premier rapid-response forces, the 82nd Airborne is designed to be a rapid-response team able to deploy a battalion within 18 hours — and a full brigade within 72 hours.
Defense officials are expected to formally announce the deployment of a brigade combat team from the division in the coming days, according to the Journal.
The 82nd Airborne Division is frequently placed on high alert due to its ability to deploy quickly to global hotspots, making it a key asset in emerging conflicts.
It was not immediately clear when the troops would be deployed or what specific role they would play if sent to the region.
The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed the plans.
It was not immediately clear when the troops would be deployed or what specific role they would play if sent to the region.
The news comes just days after the Pentagon dispatched roughly 2,500 Marines aboard three warships — including the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship — to the Middle East as part of a broader effort to bolster forces near Iran and reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, has long been a flashpoint in US-Iran tensions.
That was the second deployment of a Marine expeditionary unit that the US sent toward the Middle East in quick succession as the conflict intensifies.
The 82nd Airborne troops could be given a number of tasks — from reinforcing US positions, protecting American personnel and assets or serving as a deterrent against further Iranian escalation.
President Trump has not ruled out putting US boots on the ground in the region — either in Iran or on the strategically vital Kharg Island — but said Thursday he had no immediate plans to do so. However, he also suggested he wouldn’t preview any such military moves in the press.
In a Friday interview with Fox News host Martha MacCallum, Trump stated that he needed “numbers” to reopen the Strait — after railing hours earlier about “cowards” in the NATO alliance unwilling to help militarily.
US officials have said recent deployments are intended to send a clear signal to Iran while reassuring allies in the region.
