Trump Sending Thousands More Troops to Middle East as Iran Ceasefire Deadline Looms
The Pentagon is deploying thousands of additional military personnel to the Middle East in the coming days as President Trump attempts to pressure Iran into a nuclear deal while keeping the option of escalation firmly on the table, according to current and former U.S. officials.
Roughly 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush are already en route, accompanied by several escort warships. Another 4,200 personnel with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are expected to arrive by month’s end.
The buildup is timed to coincide with the expiration of a two-week ceasefire on April 22, with U.S. warships already enforcing a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon says approximately 50,000 troops are now involved in global operations related to the Iran conflict.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday that it is “obviously in the best interest of Iran to meet the president’s demands,” which include dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program and lifting its lockdown on commercial shipping through the strait. The closure has rattled global energy markets and driven up gas prices at home.
Trump told Fox Business he expects the conflict to wrap up “very soon” and predicted gas prices would fall to pre-war levels by the midterms, contingent on stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Iran, meanwhile, is refusing to blink. Military commander Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi threatened to extend Tehran’s disruption of trade across the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Red Sea in direct retaliation for the American blockade.
Ten vessels have already turned back rather than challenge the blockade, officials said. One Iranian-flagged ship attempted to break through Tuesday before being redirected by a U.S. destroyer.
Pakistani mediators are pushing for a ceasefire extension to give both sides more time to negotiate, and a follow-up summit in Islamabad is reportedly being considered.
Behind the scenes, Pentagon planners are already war-gaming potential ground operations on Iranian soil, including a Special Operations mission to extract nuclear material, Marine landings along the Iranian coast, and a possible seizure of Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub in the Persian Gulf.
Retired Marine and former CIA officer Mick Mulroy warned that while a diplomatic resolution remains the preferable outcome, any ground operation would carry serious consequences. “There will likely be casualties,” he said.