The United States is deploying about 2,500 Marines to the Middle East as the war with Iran enters a new phase centred on the Strait of Hormuz, where attacks on shipping have disrupted one of the world’s most critical oil routes.
The Marines are expected to come from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), normally based in Okinawa, Japan, according to US defence officials. The unit will deploy alongside amphibious warships including the ᴀssault ship USS Tripoli, forming part of a rapid-response force aimed at protecting shipping and countering Iranian attacks in the Gulf.
The deployment comes two weeks after the United States and Israel launched major strikes on Iran, triggering a widening conflict that has spilled across the region and severely disrupted maritime traffic through the narrow waterway linking the Arabian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.
