Trump Bolsters Gulf Force
Donald Trump’s scope to escalate military action against Iran is set to widen within days, as a third aircraft carrier and thousands of elite US troops approach the region.
While the president said on Tuesday he would extend his ceasefire with Iran, the US military has been pressing on with deployments to the Middle East that significantly expand its capabilities.
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Retired General Joseph Votel, who oversaw American military operations in the Middle East as the head of US Central Command, said the additional forces were designed to “send a message” to Iran and “make sure that [Trump] has the most flexibility in terms of options”.
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Votel said the forces could also do “very limited-duration, limited-scope operations into Iran”, such as on the southern coast to support an operation related to the Strait of Hormuz.
The MEUs and 82nd Airborne can all put boots on the ground quickly — the MEUs from the sea, and the 82nd Airborne from the air.
But such an incursion would come with considerable risk. “As soon as it’s known that there are troops on the ground, they become a great big target,” said Votel. “Protecting ground forces would become the top priority for the military.”
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The 82nd Airborne troops would, by contrast, stage from an air base within a couple of hours’ flight from the target location. They would fly on C-17 or C-130 transport aircraft, jump from the planes and parachute into the drop zone. They would also drop their vehicles and artillery, he added. “Most of what they would need would drop with them,” Votel said.
The US has used the 82nd Airborne in operations including the invasion of Panama in 1989 and for the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The US sent a headquarters element to Nato’s eastern flank after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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The 82nd Airborne paratroopers would jump with one to two days of supplies, such as meals and ammunition, so they would need a means to be replenished. There would also need to be plans to evacuate casualties and for a quick-reaction force to reinforce the ground troops should they “get in trouble”, Votel added.
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Read the full article in the Financial Times.