Khaberni - Senior U.S. military leaders are considering the deployment of a combat brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division, along with elements from its leadership body, to support operations against Iran, according to defense officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to the "New York Times," no official orders have been issued regarding this matter from the Pentagon or the Central Command, which declined to comment.
The officials explained that the combat forces would come from the division's immediate response unit, which includes about 3,000 soldiers capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
Among the potential tasks for these forces is to take control of Khark Island, the main port for oil exports, according to sources.
The officials mentioned another option under consideration, if President Donald Trump approves the deployment of forces, which involves an attack participated in by about 2,500 soldiers from the 31st Marine Unit, already headed to the Middle East.
At the same time, former officials confirmed that the island's airstrip was damaged during the recent air raids, making it likely for the Marines to arrive first to repair the airstrip and airport infrastructure before the arrival of the paratroopers to transfer equipment and supplies by transport aircraft if necessary.
They pointed out that the advantage of deploying paratroopers lies in their rapid deployment capability, while they lack heavy equipment such as armored vehicles, which provide protection in case the Iranians launch a counterattack.
The U.S. military has announced that 300 members of this body participated in an exercise at the Joint Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana, to maintain the readiness of the potentially deployed brigade to move to the Middle East, according to the newspaper.
The newspaper explained that the immediate response unit of the 82nd Airborne Division had previously been deployed in recent years to several crisis locations, including the Middle East in January 2020 after the attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Afghanistan in August 2021 for evacuation operations, and Eastern Europe in 2022 to support operations in Ukraine.
