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Pentagon officials consider deploying airborne troops to support military operations in Iran: Report

Pentagon officials consider deploying airborne troops to support military operations in Iran: Report
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Monday, 23 March, 2026, 23:48

Senior military officials from the United States are considering sending a combat brigade from the US Army's airborne troops to support the US military operations in Iran.

The forces will be from the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division and some elements of the division’s headquarters staff, New York Times cited US defence officials as saying.

According to the officials, no decision to this effect has been ordered officially by the Pentagon or the US Central command. They termed the military’s actions as prudent planning.

Which troops may be potentially deployed and why?
The combat forces, according to NYT, will come from the 82nd Airborne’s “Immediate Response Force", which constitutes about 3,000 soldiers capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
According to the report, the deployment of the troops could be done for seizing Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub. The officials said that another possibility under consideration, if US President Donald Trump authorises US troops to take the island, is an attack by about 2,500 troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is allegedly on its way towards the region, NYT reported.