The United States is reportedly considering deploying as many as 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East, according to media reports released on Friday, amid rising speculation that Washington could be preparing for a possible ground operation in Iran.
If approved, the move would represent a major expansion of the US military footprint in the region, even as President Donald Trump has maintained that Tehran is still engaged in diplomatic discussions with Washington aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.
A report by The Wall Street Journal indicated that the potential deployment is intended to provide the US president with broader military options as tensions escalate in the region following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The report noted that the additional forces would reinforce thousands of paratroopers and Marines already sent to the area.
Meanwhile, an Iranian official warned earlier in the week that any ground invasion by the United States would trigger retaliation, including mobilizing allied Houthi forces in Yemen to target shipping routes in the Red Sea, potentially opening another front in an already complex conflict with far-reaching economic, political, and military consequences.
Despite the heightened tensions, Trump has repeatedly stated that he has no intention of deploying ground troops for direct combat in Iran.
According to the report, while the exact locations for the troop deployment remain uncertain, they are expected to be positioned within operational range of Iran, including strategic areas such as Kharg Island, a key hub for the country’s oil exports.
The US Department of Defense has yet to officially comment on the reports.
At the same time, Trump has extended his timeline for potential strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure, expressing optimism that ongoing negotiations to resolve the conflict are progressing positively.
In a related development, Israel announced on Friday that its forces carried out a large-scale series of strikes targeting key infrastructure linked to the Iranian government within central Tehran.