A “rapid-response” unit specialising in sea raids, ground force troops “capable of seizing airfields” and C-17s potentially laden with munitions – these are the US military assets President Donald Trump is believed to be positioning close to Iran.
Open-source details of army movements and the tracking of American military flights point to a plan threatened by Trump to place US combat troops in the Middle East as pressure mounts on bringing the conflict to an end.
Speculation of an attempt by the US to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, has grown in recent days as the possibility of capturing the strategic ground has emerged as a potential endgame to the war, which has proved unpopular with US voters and many of America’s allies.
On Tuesday evening, the Wall Street Journal reported that two US officials had confirmed Pentagon plans to deploy a 3,000-strong team from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East to support operations against Iran – with a written order to deploy the unit expected within hours.
US soldiers have been sending loved ones photos of unusually decadent meals being served up to them at bases, including a “surf and turf” dinner of lobster and steak – a meal which is anecdotally associated in the American military as a sign of imminent deployment.
Ruben Stewart, Senior Fellow for Land Warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) explained: “This is not simply rhetorical: combat-capable forces are moving and can be employed quickly.”
As most of you know, my son is a Sailor. He sent a picture of his lunch yesterday from the galley. I’m thankful that we are finally taking care of our men and women in uniform. pic.twitter.com/e6T21YiN4p
— Mike Bales (@MikeBales) March 20, 2026The composition of troops being moved to the Middle East does not suggest a long-term ground invasion is on the cards but instead points to a rapid operation, Stewart said.
“You are looking at a force suited to short-duration, discrete operations and not a sustained ground invasion. The 2003 invasion of Iraq required some 160,000 troops for a country that is a quarter the size of Iran,” he said.
“While the timing clearly aligns with political messaging around the Strait of Hormuz, the military posture itself reflects genuine contingency preparation, designed to deter escalation while preserving the option for limited action if required.”
How US troops are moving – and how many
Between 2,000 and 2,500 US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) have been deployed from their base in Okinawa, Japan, and are headed toward the Middle East on the USS Tripoli and other war ships, according to IISS analysis of embarkation and departure reporting.
Stewart said MEU marines are trained specifically for “rapid-response and limited-objective operations”, including raids from boats, amphibious crafts or helicopters.
The defence analyst added that another marine unit reportedly embarked on the USS Boxer, based on the US West Coast, but that it is currently “unconfirmed”.
The 3,000-strong brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, paratroopers known as the Immediate Readiness Force (IRF), are permanently on 18 hours standby for deployment and are trained for “rapid-entry ground force capable of seizing airfields or reinforcing positions at short notice”.
www.instagram.com/p/DWHE6QnDjvk/?img_index=3“Taken together, this combination signals a posture of maximum flexibility: sea-based forces for immediate action, and airborne forces as a scalable escalation option,” Stewart said.
“However, what is notably absent are heavy armoured formations and the logistics required for sustained operations, which would be expected if a large-scale ground campaign were being prepared,” he added.
It is not known how these forces might be used, but the combination of forces could point to an attempt to raid or seize coastal options – such as Kharg Island.
The New York Times reported that senior military officials were looking at deploying a combat brigade to seize the island as a strategic move to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Surge in US military craft movement
Flight tracking platforms have also revealed a surge in US military aircraft moving across to positions in the Middle East in recent days.
Flight records verified by The i Paper show 162 US air mobility command flights related to the Iran war took place between 14 and 23 March. This compares to 97 transport flights between 7 March and 14 March, to locations spanning the Middle East and other locations, including RAF Fairford in the UK.
An open-source intelligence (OSINT) source who calls himself the “Armchair Admiral” and belongs to the Military Air Tracking Alliance – a group of 30 OSINT analysts – has also discovered flight logs showing recent arrivals of US aircraft into Ovda Air Base and Nevatim Air Base in Israel. He noted “there appears to be a significant build-up of what may be US Army airborne units to Jordan.”
#USAF United States Air Force – Iran War 2026Operation Lions Roar / Epic Fury – D+2323 March – 2100zAs of the 23rd of March, there have been 716 total Air Mobility Command flights to the Middle East and related destinations such as Chania Airport and RAF Fairford. There are a… t.co/vku9jruto4 pic.twitter.com/1Yl45c3Vvl
— Armchair Admiral (@ArmchairAdml) March 23, 2026US air mobility command flights include the C-17 Globemaster III. The US Air Force boasts 157 of these long-range military transport aircraft in active duty, with a further 65 available to it. They are used to move troops and cargo, with the US military stating its maximum payload capacity is 170,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms) and able to transport 102 troops.
Flight paths do not confirm what, if anything, a plane might be transporting.
“There has been a noticeable increase in heavy strategic airlift flights, as reflected on flight-tracking platforms, which may indicate the movement of forces into the region,” said Stewart.
“However, given the likely destinations, it is more plausible that these flights are transporting munitions, such as the recently approved deliveries of aerial ordnance to Israel.”
He added that the crafts may also be resupplying missiles, such as Patriot PAC3 missiles which are large and difficult to transport, or other logistical support such as spare parts or other resources.
The route of one C-17 to Israel last week. (Photo: Flight Radar)“Such a surge is effectively the establishment of an air bridge and is not unusual in the early stages of a crisis or during ongoing hostilities. It reflects the need to sustain and reinforce existing capabilities, rather than serving as a clear indicator of imminent large-scale offensive operations,” he added.
USAF C-17 panes have also been flying to a number of locations in the US as well as Ramstein Air Base in Germany via Talladega Municipal Airport in Alabama. The unassuming American regional airport is located less than 10 km from Anniston Army Depot, one of the largest storage and maintenance facilities for US ground combat vehicles.
Another USAF C-17 landed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego on March 20. Although the aircraft does not appear to have departed, the base is home to 1st Marine Logistics Group which supports the US Marine Expeditionary Force.
What the UK will be doing
Sir Keir Starmer is offering to host a multinational Strait of Hormuz security conference in the UK “in the near future” to help clear the globally important shipping route from Iranian threats.
Defence chiefs are working on a plan for a coalition of countries, led by the Royal Navy and the French navy, to help escort ships through the Strait. It is understood the conference could be in London or Portsmouth in the coming weeks.
Defence officials said the UK’s role in freeing up the Strait was likely to be a blend of crewed vessels, including potentially a Type 45 Destroyer armed with on-board anti-missile capabilities, autonomous boats to search for mines, and drones that could protect merchant shipping from possible Iranian attack.
This would be alongside vessels from the US, French and other navies that have signed up to the coalition.
One official said: “We have world-leading capabilities in terms of autonomous mine hunting, as well as fantastic destroyer capability with our Type 45s, and also the development of hybrid navy concept, which provides us with opportunities to avoid putting people into harm’s way to help secure the strait.”
Trump ‘keeps all options open’
The US State Department declined to comment on the troop movements, saying “We would refer you to the President’s most recent comments in the press on the subject.”
Trump said he had no plans to put American troops on the ground in Iran, with a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, telling Reuters last week: “There has been no decision to send ground troops at this time, but President Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal.
“The president is focused on achieving all of the defined objectives of Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capacity, annihilate their navy, ensure their terrorist proxies cannot destabilize the region, and guarantee that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.”
Many Americans will be waiting to see if their loved ones may be called to invade Iran, with the viral plate of Surf ‘n’ Turf shared by one father gaining almost 30 million views.
He responded to a comment warning “this type of meal is prior to combat… when it was time for business, we got lobster and crab” by stating: “I know all too well.”
Analysis by US watchdog Open the Books reported earlier this month that the American Defence Department spent $22m on lobsters and ribeye steak towards the end of September last year – although it did not confirm if that food was frozen and used to feed troops or consumed otherwise.
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