Thousands of U.S. Marines and Army paratroopers in the Middle East would boost the president’s military options against Iran, but there are risks.United States Marines with Force Reconnaissance Platoon, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct a simulated reconnaissance and surveillance mission as part of a simulated amphibious assault at a naval support facility in Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territories, on March 24, 2026. Handout photo by Lance Cpl. Victor Gurrol/U.S. Marine Corps via Getty ImagesUS Deployments Fuel Speculation of Ground Combat Against IranThousands of U.S. Marines and Army paratroopers in the Middle East would boost the president’s military options against Iran, but there are risks.The U.S. military has deployed several thousand additional infantry troops to the Middle East in recent weeks, raising speculation of imminent ground combat in the conflict with Iran.Military analysts have proposed a handful of potential missions for U.S. ground forces, including seizing key territory in the Persian Gulf or mounting a raid deep into Iran.
US Deployments Fuel Speculation of Ground Combat Against Iran
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