In a sign that the US is planning to significantly escalate the war against Iran, the 82nd Airborne Division received orders to deploy to the Middle East.
Axios’s Barack Ravid reported on Tuesday that a senior US official told him, “The 82nd Airborne Division headquarters has received an order from the Pentagon to deploy to the Middle East along with several infantry brigades of thousands of soldiers.”
🚨בכיר אמריקני אומר לי: מפקדת הדיוויזיה המוטסת ה-82 קיבלה הוראה מהפנטגון לצאת לפריסה במזרח התיכון יחד עם כמה חטיבת חי״ר של אלפי חיילים
🚨למה זה חשוב: מדובר בתגבורת משמעותית נוספת בסד״כ האמריקני באזור לקראת פעולה קרקעית אפשרית באיראן— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) March 24, 2026
On Monday, The New York Times reported that the Department of War was preparing to dispatch the 82nd’s “Immediate Response Force,” about 3,000 soldiers, to the Middle East. The immediate response force is set up for rapid deployment and can move into a new region within 18 hours.
Ravid notes that the deployment could be a signal that President Donald Trump is preparing to order ground operations in Iran.
Multiple outlets have reported over the past week that the President is mulling an invasion of Iran. The mission could be an attempt to seize Kharg Island. The territory is home to several facilities that account for 90% of Iran’s oil exports.
The President is also reportedly considering an operation to seize Tehran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium.
Analysts have warned that a ground operation against Iran could have catastrophic results. If US troops are in Iranian territory, they will be within range of short-range Iranian missiles and drones.
In addition to the 82nd Airborne, the Department of War has also ordered two Marine Expeditionary Units to the Middle East. The roughly 5,000 Marines will arrive in the region in the coming weeks.
