WASHINGTON - Two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday that the Pentagon is preparing to send thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. The troops are stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the sources said. They did not provide specifics about where in the Middle East the units would be deployed or when they would arrive.
The planned movement would come on top of a recent deployment that included thousands of Marines and sailors embarked aboard an amphibious assault ship, along with a Marine Expeditionary Unit and its accompanying warships. That earlier deployment took place last week, according to officials familiar with it.
When asked about the anticipated Army movement, the U.S. military directed questions to the White House. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the sources said.
One of the people familiar with the matter emphasized that no decision had been taken to move U.S. forces into Iran itself. Rather, the additional Army personnel would expand U.S. capacity in the region and help prepare for potential future operations, the person said.
The expected deployments follow a recent turn in Washington's public posture toward Tehran. President Donald Trump on Monday postponed previously signaled threats to bomb Iranian power plants, saying there had been "productive" talks with Iran. After that comment on his social media channel, Iran denied that any talks had taken place.
Context and reporting limits
The information in this report comes from two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. They did not offer timelines or precise locations for the anticipated Army movement. Where direct comment was sought, U.S. officials either referred inquiries to the White House or did not provide an immediate response.
This account reflects the details available from those sources and official responses at the time of reporting.