The Pentagon is preparing to deploy roughly 3,000 troops from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing two US officials.
A formal deployment order is expected within hours, officials said, marking a significant expansion of the American military buildup in the region.
The unit, a brigade combat team from the 82nd Airborne, serves as the U.S. Army’s rapid-response force and is capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 24 hours. The troops are trained to parachute into hostile or contested territory to secure airfields and establish operational footholds.
Officials said the brigade would be deployed alongside the division’s headquarters element, which would oversee planning and coordination of potential operations.
While no decision has been made to send ground forces into Iran, the deployment would give President Donald Trump greater flexibility in military planning. Options under consideration could include reopening the Strait of Hormuz by force, seizing strategic islands or coastal areas, or securing Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The move underscores growing concerns in Washington over the trajectory of the conflict, even as the Trump administration continues to signal openness to diplomatic engagement with Tehran.
Reuters reported that thousands of additional troops from the 82nd Airborne are expected to be sent to the region, though officials declined to specify their exact destination or timeline for arrival.
The U.S. military referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The deployment, if finalized, would represent a major escalation in U.S. force posture in the Middle East, reinforcing both deterrence and readiness as the conflict with Iran deepens.