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mahatmakanejeeves

(69,329 posts)
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 12:50 PM 7 hrs ago

Pentagon Sends Marine Expeditionary Unit to Middle East

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

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The Wall Street Journal
‪@wsj.com‬

The Pentagon is moving a Marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East, as Iran steps up its attacks on the Strait of Hormuz, according to two U.S. officials. Expeditionary units typically consist of up to 2,500 Marines.

Pentagon Sends Marine Expeditionary Unit to Middle East
The Pentagon is moving a Marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East, as Iran steps up its attacks on the Strait of Hormuz, according to two U.S. officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved a request from U.S. Central Command, responsible for American forces in the Middle East, for the e
on.wsj.com
11:21 AM · Mar 13, 2026
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The Pentagon is moving a Marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East, as Iran steps up its attacks on the Strait of Hormuz, according to two U.S. officials. Expeditionary units typically consist of up to 2,500 Marines.

The Wall Street Journal (@wsj.com) 2026-03-13T15:21:07.395156Z


Read more: https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/us-israel-iran-war-news-2026/card/pentagon-sends-marine-expeditionary-unit-to-middle-east-WeoODg0XIIe31W3np2aI



A tweet says they're headed to Kharg Island. I don't link to tweets anymore. (Existing links stay in place.)

Print edition:

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/us-israel-iran-war-news-2026/card/pentagon-sends-marine-expeditionary-unit-to-middle-east-WeoODg0XIIe31W3np2aI

Pentagon Is Moving Additional Marines, Warships to the Middle East
By Lara Seligman


The USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship saeed khan/AFP/Getty Images

The Pentagon is moving additional Marines and warships to the Middle East as Iran steps up its attacks on the Strait of Hormuz, according to three U.S. officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved a request from U.S. Central Command, responsible for American forces in the Middle East, for an element of an amphibious ready group and attached Marine expeditionary unit, typically consisting of several warships and 5,000 Marines, the officials said.

The Japan-based USS Tripoli and its attached Marines are now headed for the Middle East, two of the officials said. Marines are already in the Middle East supporting the Iran operation, the officials said.

{snip}

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https://www.wsj.com/news/author/lara-seligman

Lara Seligman
National Security Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

Lara Seligman is a national security reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Washington, where she covers the White House and the Pentagon. She previously spent four years at Politico as a defense reporter.

Lara's reporting on the military and the defense industry has taken her around the world, with time spent covering geopolitics in real time in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Lara previously covered the Pentagon and national security for Foreign Policy. She also has written for publications including the Washington Post and Defense News.
16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Pentagon Sends Marine Expeditionary Unit to Middle East (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves 7 hrs ago OP
Ground troops. wnylib 6 hrs ago #1
cannon fodder part 1 Tetrachloride 6 hrs ago #2
But taco said he'd won the war! greatauntoftriplets 6 hrs ago #3
Sounds like UpInArms 6 hrs ago #4
... Solly Mack 6 hrs ago #5
This message was self-deleted by its author James48 6 hrs ago #6
Nooooooooo. DRAFT ICE usonian 6 hrs ago #7
Pentagon is sending the USS Tripoli, a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit LetMyPeopleVote 4 hrs ago #8
I believe you mean Marine Excursionary Unit Prairie Gates 4 hrs ago #9
"For a three hour tour, a three hour tour." NT mahatmakanejeeves 4 hrs ago #12
Aargh! How are we so dumb? 0rganism 4 hrs ago #10
If I Had to Guess. ruet 4 hrs ago #11
Off to die for Bibi! BannonsLiver 2 hrs ago #13
Were the Marines ordered to pack their dress blues for the parade... Brother Buzz 2 hrs ago #14
Yeah again...funny how I missed the video of that parade in Iraq Bengus81 2 hrs ago #15
Kharg Island? RussBLib 2 hrs ago #16

Tetrachloride

(9,581 posts)
2. cannon fodder part 1
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 12:56 PM
6 hrs ago

the first shall be last

no good deed goes unpunished

eye for an eye

i never saw it coming

i saw it coming

—— some of the classics

Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

usonian

(24,855 posts)
7. Nooooooooo. DRAFT ICE
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 01:11 PM
6 hrs ago

• They are already "trained" (in random violence against civilians. Checks one box)

• Bonespur "victims" have already been weeded out.

• They are already government employees and must go where assigned. (saves TONS of paperwork)

• They already have weapons, and unspent budget money.
• They already have swell masks to protect from radioactive dust that bombing reactors creates.

• They (probably) already have military haircuts, and (this is big)
• Their kill to loss ratio is infinite.

Oh, and ...

• It's them or Barron. 




Danes Agree, YES, DANES!

LetMyPeopleVote

(178,838 posts)
8. Pentagon is sending the USS Tripoli, a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 03:01 PM
4 hrs ago

ruet

(10,246 posts)
11. If I Had to Guess.
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 03:19 PM
4 hrs ago

This would be the beginnings of a force used to secure the coast of Iran along the Strait of Hormuz. So now our troops can be drone fodder rather than tankers. Could be where the AAM from S. Korea is going as well. They are going to need them.

Brother Buzz

(39,845 posts)
14. Were the Marines ordered to pack their dress blues for the parade...
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 05:36 PM
2 hrs ago

Where they will be showered with flowers?

RussBLib

(10,582 posts)
16. Kharg Island?
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 05:45 PM
2 hrs ago

That is an Iranian island only about 10 miles off the coast of Iran in the NE Persian Gulf. There is an airstrip there and what looks like oil storage tanks. 2,500 US Marines are just going to show up there and expect no resistance? Something is wrong with this picture. Something is wrong in the White House.

https://russblib.blogspot.com

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