What an influx of 17,000 US troops could mean for the Iran war
The Wall Street Journal has reported. That would add to roughly 5,000 Marines and 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division already ordered to the region. The additional troops would likely include infantry, armored vehicles and logistics support.That’s far fewer than the 150,000 troops the U.S.
deployed in March 2003 to invade Iraq, a country much smaller in terms of both geography and population than Iran.Trump hasn’t directed the military to put American boots on the ground inside Iran, current and former U.S. officials say. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday he didn’t think they would be needed.“We are ahead of schedule on most of them, and we can achieve them without any ground troops, without any,” Rubio said in France after meeting with G-7 ministers.
But he added that Trump “has to be prepared for multiple contingencies.”Trump has said he hopes to resolve the conflict through diplomacy and press Iran to agree to a tough set of demands, including handing over its supply of enriched uranium, dismantling key nuclear facilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.But Iran has rebuffed those overtures. Tehran appears to be calculating that closing the strait will pressure the White House to compromise and deter future attacks. The troop buildup could give the U.S.
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