Thousands of soldiers from the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division have arrived in the Middle East, giving President Donald Trump the option of ordering ground operations against Iran.
The deployment reportedly includes a brigade combat team, headquarters personnel and logistical support. The division is trained for rapid deployment, parachute assaults and the capture of strategic targets.
One option under consideration is an operation to seize Kharg Island, the center of Iran’s oil-export network. The island handles the overwhelming majority of the Islamic regime’s oil exports, making it one of Tehran’s most valuable strategic assets.
However, no official order has been announced for the 82nd Airborne to capture Kharg Island, and no timetable for such an operation has been confirmed. The deployment gives Trump the military capability to act should he decide to open a new ground phase in the war.