Special Operations Forces, Marines and Army troops now in Middle East, sources say
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Hundreds of U.S. Special Operations Forces, including Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, along with thousands of Marines and Army paratroopers, have been deployed to the Middle East, providing President Trump with military options against Iran.
- Potential military actions discussed include operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, seize oil from Kharg Island, or capture Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.
- President Trump expressed optimism about ongoing negotiations with Iran to end the conflict, but Iranian officials deny direct talks and reject the U.S. ceasefire proposal as unreasonable.
- Trump warned that if an agreement is not reached soon and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the U.S. would target Iran’s electric generating plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and possibly desalinization plants.
- Over 3,500 U.S. troops, including about 2,500 Marines aboard the USS Tripoli, have arrived in the region, with a second Marine Expeditionary Unit en route, amid escalating strikes in the Iran conflict.
