Expanded U.S. Presence in the Middle East

Written By: Naija Agarwal

On March 29th, U.S. Special Operations forces arrived in the Middle East, joining recently deployed 2,500 Marines and 2,500 sailors in the region, totaling more than 50,000 American troops.

US Central Command released that the newly arrived sailors and marines are part of a unit led by the warship U.S.S. Tripoli, which includes assault and transport capabilities; however, the commandos have not provided further detail on specific mission assignments for the Special Operations forces. Iran responded to the buildup with warnings, with the country’s parliament speaker stating that the country is waiting for American soldiers as 3,500 troops arrived in the Middle East.

Earlier in March, the Pentagon ordered about 2,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East to expand military options available to U.S. commanders.

Typically, about 40,000 U.S. troops are deployed at bases and ships at any time across the region, including in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. The number of troops no longer includes 4,500 who were aboard the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, which had recently been damaged by an internal fire. The Ford officially withdrew on March 23, before traveling to Crete and Croatia, though its final destination has not been publicly confirmed.

On March 26, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran had not responded to the U.S.’s 15-point peace proposal intended to end the war, but alluded to a “willingness to talk about certain things” from Iran.

President Donald Trump also reported positive progress in negotiations with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, citing “direct and indirect” contacts. Iranian officials, however, have denied that discussions have taken place and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has noted that messages exchanged through intermediaries constituted “neither dialogue nor negotiation, nor anything of the sort.”