Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Sep 4: The United States is planning to extend the deployment of its troops in West Asia into 2027 as the conflict with Iran continues to escalate, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The extended deployment could include troops from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, according to a letter sent to the families of deployed service members and reviewed by the newspaper.
The development comes after the United States Central Command (Centcom) carried out strikes on several sites inside Iran on Tuesday. Centcom confirmed the attacks on Wednesday, while Iran responded by targeting US-linked facilities across the Gulf. Iranian officials claimed that the latest US strikes killed 18 people and injured 142 others.
The Pentagon is maintaining a major military presence in the region to preserve US President Donald Trump’s options as he considers the next course of the conflict. Around 50,000 US troops are currently deployed in the region, along with 19 warships, air-defence units, fighter squadrons and paratroopers.
US forces have been tasked with intercepting Iranian missiles, protecting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and blockading Iranian ports and coastal areas. They are also prepared for larger offensive operations if Trump decides to further escalate the conflict.
According to the WSJ, Trump was briefed last month on several military options, including intensified airstrikes, deploying ground troops to seize Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz and striking Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified site reportedly associated with potential covert nuclear activity.
The prolonged conflict is placing increasing pressure on US service members and their families, while also contributing to maintenance delays that could take years to address, the report said.
Army air-defence units have seen their usual deployment periods extended from nine to 12 months. Some units redeployed from planned positions in Europe and the Pacific have already spent more than a year in the Middle East.
The US Navy has also maintained 19 warships in the region, including two aircraft carriers and 13 guided-missile destroyers. Several destroyers have remained at sea for months instead of receiving their regular breaks, according to the WSJ.
Trump has increasingly turned to economic pressure in an effort to force Tehran to negotiate. The US recently launched Operation Economic Outcast, targeting Iran’s key economic sectors, including oil, shipping, aviation and digital assets.
Trump has said he believes sustained economic pressure could eventually force Iran to dismantle its nuclear programme or contribute to the collapse of the Iranian regime.
However, Tehran has shown no indication of backing down, with the two countries continuing to exchange fire while asserting control over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
US forces have also struck nearly 60 Iranian military sites around the strait, targeting air-defence systems, radar installations, maritime infrastructure, mine-laying facilities and communications networks.
Meanwhile, US forces guided 40 commercial vessels through the waterway on Tuesday, according to US officials cited by CNN, marking the largest number of commercial vessels protected in a single operation during the conflict so far.