More than 3,500 U.S. troops arrive in Middle East as Iran war intensifies

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More than 3,500 U.S. troops, including the USS Tripoli with astir 2,500 Marines, arrived successful the Middle East, officials announced Saturday, arsenic strikes successful the Iran war intensified.

The U.S. Central Command said successful a societal media station that the USS Tripoli, which serves arsenic the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived successful its country of responsibility.

It's the most updated of the amphibious warships, known arsenic a "big deck," which allows much country for F-35 Stealth Fighter Jets, Ospreys and different aircraft. The vessel had antecedently been based successful Japan erstwhile the bid to deploy to the Middle East came astir 2 weeks ago.

Central Command said that successful summation to the Marines, the Tripoli besides brings transport and onslaught combatant aircraft, arsenic good arsenic amphibious battle assets to the region. The USS Boxer and 2 different ships, on with different Marine Expeditionary Unit, person besides been ordered to the portion from San Diego.

More than 11,000 targets person been struck since Operation Epic Fury began connected Feb. 28, CENTCOM said Saturday successful a information sheet.

U.S. Sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrived successful the U.S. Central Command country of responsibility, March 27. The America-class amphibious battle vessel serves arsenic the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit composed of about… pic.twitter.com/JFWiPBbkd2

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 28, 2026

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday the United States tin conscionable its objectives "without immoderate crushed troops." But helium besides said President Trump "has to beryllium prepared for aggregate contingencies" and that American forces are disposable "to springiness the president maximum optionality and maximum, accidental to set to contingencies should they emerge."

The accomplishment of the U.S. troops successful the portion comes aft astatine slightest 10 U.S. troops, including 2 who were earnestly wounded, were injured erstwhile Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones astatine Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan aerial base.

The war, which continues to intensify contempt reports of Mr. Trump pushing for a deal, has upended planetary aerial travel, disrupted lipid exports and caused substance prices to soar. Iran's stranglehold connected the Strait of Hormuz, a strategical waterway, has exacerbated the economical fallout.

On Saturday, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels said they entered the month-old warfare by claiming a rocket motorboat that Israel said it intercepted.

The Houthis' introduction could further wounded planetary shipping if they again people vessels successful the Bab el-Mandeb Strait disconnected the Red Sea. If the Houthis increase attacks connected commercialized shipping, arsenic they person successful the past, it would further propulsion up lipid prices and destabilize "all of maritime security," said Ahmed Nagi, a elder Yemen expert astatine the International Crisis Group. "The interaction would not beryllium constricted to the vigor market."

Countries person scrambled for alternate routes to the Strait of Hormuz. Bab el-Mandeb, astatine the confederate extremity of the Arabian Peninsula, is important for vessels heading to the Suez Canal done the Red Sea and Saudi Arabia has been sending millions of barrels of crude lipid a time done it due to the fact that the Strait of Hormuz is efficaciously closed.

About 12% of the world's commercialized typically passes done Bab el-Mandeb and astir 10% of planetary maritime commercialized - including 40% of instrumentality vessel postulation - passes done the Suez Canal each year.

Houthi rebels attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking 2 vessels, betwixt November 2023 and January 2025, saying it was attacking successful solidarity with Palestinians successful Gaza during the warfare determination betwixt Israel and Hamas.

The Houthis' engagement besides would complicate the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the craft bearer that arrived successful Croatia connected Saturday for repairs. Sending the bearer to the Red Sea could gully attacks akin to those experienced by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower successful 2024 and the USS Harry S. Truman successful 2025.

The Houthis person held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014. Saudi Arabia launched a warfare against the Houthis connected behalf of Yemen's exiled authorities successful 2015, and the rebels had stayed retired of the existent struggle owed to their uneasy ceasefire with Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Trump has fixed Iran until April 6 to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says it has not engaged successful immoderate negotiations.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has said Washington delivered a 15-point "action list" to Iran for a imaginable ceasefire, with a connection to restrict Iran's atomic programme — the contented astatine the bosom of tensions with the U.S and Israel — and reopen the strait. Tehran rejected the connection and presented a five-point connection that included reparations and designation of its sovereignty implicit the waterway.

Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.

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