Pentagon deploys expeditionary unit of Marines to the Middle East: WSJ

President Donald Trump has declined to rule out limited ground operations, though he has insisted that the conflict would not be a repeat of the years-long entanglements in Iraq and Afghanistan.

By Ben Whedon

Published: March 13, 2026 1:09pm

The Pentagon on Friday reportedly approved a request from U.S. Central Command to deploy a number of additional units to the Middle East amid the Iran War.

Among those units is an amphibious ready group (ARG) and a Marine expeditionary unit (MEU), the Wall Street Journal reported. Such units typically include roughly 5,000 marines and several naval vessels, collectively. The USS Tripoli, which is stationed in Japan, is now reportedly heading to the region.

Though such a force would be far from sufficient for a full-fledged invasion of Iran, it could prove enough for minor raids or the occupation of islands in the Persian Gulf, such as Kharg Island or Qeshm Island.

President Donald Trump has declined to rule out limited ground operations, though he has insisted that the conflict would not be a repeat of the years-long entanglements in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.