Several thousand soldiers, Marines, and paratroopers are currently en route to Iran. Most are expected to arrive on Friday, the day Donald Trump’s ultimatum regarding the Strait of Hormuz liberation is set to expire.
The signals are conflicting. In speeches, Donald Trump and the United States appear ready to move towards a quick end to the conflict in the Middle East. The American president claims to be negotiating with Iran, although he has struggled to detail the content or identify the interlocutors. A 15-point plan has also been transmitted to the opposing party, to progress towards the cessation of hostilities.
But in reality, it’s a different story. The United States has been discreetly transporting quantities of material and a large number of troops to the Middle East for several days.
According to several American media outlets, 2,200 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (based in Japan), 2,000 members of the 82nd Airborne Division (paratrooper unit based in North Carolina), as well as two imposing ships, the USS Tripoli (assault) and the USS New Orleans (landing), are currently en route to the shores of Iran. Most are expected to arrive on Friday in the area under the command of Centcom (US Central Command), the entity responsible for US forces in the Middle East.
Trump’s ultimatum ends on Friday
It is precisely on Friday that the ultimatum, the latest, issued by Donald Trump to Iran to cease fighting and unblock the Strait of Hormuz, is set to expire. For many, the reality is quite clear: the American president has wanted to buy time, by maintaining vague negotiations, while his army solidifies its position in the region.
Moreover, if the United States is hopeful of achieving a cessation of hostilities, why are they also simultaneously deploying so much military force in the region? It is not just a precautionary measure in case negotiations fail, a way to stay prepared, or a way to pressure the Iranian regime by flexing muscles. For many, it is a clear sign that the United States is gearing up for serious action.
The final destination of these various army groups has not been made public. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes, could benefit from the presence of US forces to free it from its Iranian grip.
Pentagon budget extension
The Kharg rule, Iran’s main oil export hub in the northern Persian Gulf, is also a target for the Trump administration, to hit Iran financially. This small territory, located 25 kilometers off the coast, requires a ground intervention to seize control. The US military has already conducted airstrikes there earlier this month.
Increasingly, the negotiations announced by Donald Trump seem to be merely a smokescreen to allow his army time to regroup for a ground intervention.
Last week, the Defense Department submitted a request to the White House to seek a budget of $200 billion from Congress. A request that is unlikely to succeed, as Congress is divided on the issue, but it indicates that the United States has engaged in an escalation with an uncertain outcome.
