THE Trump administration is reportedly considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to the Middle East as military operations against Iran enter their third week, according to sources familiar with planning.
Reuters reported on Thursday that options under discussion include securing the Strait of Hormuz to ensure safe passage for oil tankers, deploying forces to Iran’s Kharg Island—responsible for 90% of the country’s oil exports—and potentially securing Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles.
Officials caution that any ground operation would carry substantial risk.
“Such an operation would be very risky,” said one U.S. official, highlighting Iran’s capability to target the island with missiles and drones.
The deployment is not considered imminent, but planning continues to expand U.S. operational options.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stressed that no decision to send ground troops has been made.
“The president is focused on achieving all of the defined objectives of Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capacity, annihilate their navy, ensure their terrorist proxies cannot destabilize the region, and guarantee that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” the official said.
Since the conflict began on 28 February, U.S. forces have launched over 7,800 strikes against Iranian military targets, damaging or destroying more than 120 vessels, according to a U.S. Central Command factsheet.
Thirteen American troops have died and around 200 have been wounded, though most injuries were minor.
Military planners are also reviewing whether ground forces could expand options to secure Iran’s strategic oil facilities and prevent nuclear development.
“Certainly there are ways in which it could be acquired,” a senior White House official said regarding Iran’s nuclear material, adding that no final decision has been made.
The Trump administration has previously debated whether to directly secure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global oil shipments.
Initially suggesting the U.S. Navy could escort vessels, Trump later called on other nations to take responsibility and recently questioned whether the United States should intervene at all.
“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so-called Strait?” he posted on Truth Social.
Sources indicate discussions extend beyond the scheduled arrival of an Amphibious Ready Group and a Marine Expeditionary Unit of over 2,000 Marines next week.
Any decision to deploy ground forces would carry both significant operational hazards and potential domestic backlash, reflecting Trump’s ongoing tension between campaign pledges to avoid foreign entanglements and the current military escalation in the Middle East. - March 19, 2026
