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US deploying 2,500 Marines, three warships to Middle East amid conflict with Iran: Report
The 2,500 Marines will join over 50,000 US troops already deployed in the region even as Tehran continues to block key passage on the Strait of Hormuz.
After two weeks of conflict in the Middle East which has shown no signs of abating, the United States is deploying around 2,500 Marines to the region, along with three of its warships, several reports said on Friday.
The 2,500 Marines will join over 50,000 US troops already stationed in the region even as Tehran continues to block key passage on the Strait of Hormuz, The New York Times reported.
The conflict between the US and Iran began on February 28, when the United States and Israel targeted Tehran and other military sites, while Iran struck Tel Aviv and US bases in the Gulf region in retaliation.
Follow latest updates on US-Iran conflict
The fresh deployment in the Middle East also comes after six American soldiers were killed after a refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq on Thursday. While an Iranian group has taken responsibility for the strike, US has maintained that the incident was "not due to hostile fire".
USS Tripoli among warships to be deployed
The Wall Street Journal citing US officials said the Japan-based USS Tripoli and its attached Marines were one of the warships that was en route to the region.
The request for the additional soldiers and warship was made by US Central Command, which is responsible for US troops in the Middle East, and approved by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, the Journal reported.
Though the latest move marks a major addition to the US troops in the region, it would take more than a week for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is being moved to the region, and USS Tripoli to reach the region owing to their location.
Also Read: Not hostile fire, 4 onboard dead: US on KC-135 refuelling plane crash over Iraq
US President Donald Trump has earlier warned of using military to clear the Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world’s oil transits pass.
The blockade through the strategic route has led to global spike in oil prices and threat to global energy supplies.
After two weeks of fighting, over 1,300 people have been killed in Iran, while 773 people, including 100 children, have been killed in Lebanon after the United States and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran on February 28.
Meanwhile, Israel has reported 12 deaths and the death toll in the US military has rose to at least 13.
