The US military is preparing to deploy at least 2,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days as hostilities with Iran continue despite signs of a possible de-escalation.
The development, reported by the Associated Press, comes days after Donald Trump announced “very productive” talks with Iran and said he would refrain from ordering US strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure.
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What we know about deployment
The deployment of the 82nd Airborne Division will be under the command of division chief Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier, the AP reported, citing people familiar with the plans.
The New York Times, meanwhile, reported that the deployment of the 82nd Airborne would involve at least 2,000 troops in addition to the division staff, with two battalions of 800 troops each.
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee are scheduled to receive a classified briefing from War Department officials on Capitol Hill, where the potential deployment is expected to be discussed, a US official told The Associated Press.
It is currently unclear where in the Middle East the paratroopers will be sent, but the location would be within range of Iran, US officials further told the NYT.
But it remains unclear whether a ground invasion is still in the cards — the White House only noted, “President Trump always has all military options available to him,” when asked about the development.
Read also | Trump claims Iran has offered a “presence” during ongoing talks
The buildup of troops in the Middle East continues
If carried out, the deployment will add 1,000 additional personnel to the 5,000 Marines already deployed by the War Department to the Middle East — Japan’s USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Force were previously ordered to the Middle East, while the Navy also deployed a set of quick response ships to the San Diego area.
The deployments are expected to add to the Middle East, which already has around 50,000 US troops, around 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors.
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The 82nd Airborne has a rich history
Although U.S. Marine Corps units are trained in a variety of mission scenarios, including assisting U.S. embassies and evacuating civilians and providing disaster relief, the 82nd Airborne Division is specifically trained to parachute behind enemy lines to secure strategic points, key territories, and airfields.
The 82nd Airborne (then known as the 82nd Infantry Division) was first activated in 1917 and saw action during World War I, fighting in the Battle of Lorraine in 1918 and the St Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns in 1918.
The division was reconstituted as the US Army’s First Airborne Division in 1942 and fought in several campaigns in World War II, including Operation Husky in Sicily and the most famous Operation Overlord on D-Day.
After World War II, the 82nd Airborne continued to serve as America’s first rapid deployment force and was among the first combat units ordered to secure Saudi Arabia and later to push into Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, serving in both Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
