The U.S. military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three people with knowledge of the plans.
The Pentagon is expected to send thousands of soldiers from the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, adding to a massive US military buildup in the region https://t.co/iKgeyOJ1bB pic.twitter.com/c5yKKdGU7f
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 24, 2026
The unit is considered the Army’s emergency response force and can typically be deployed on short notice. The force would include a battalion of the 1st Brigade Combat Team as well as Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier, the division’s commander, and division staff, according to the people, who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans or private conversations.
Around 2,000 U.S. paratroopers are being deployed to the Middle East, with their exact destination unclear but within range of Iran, The New York Times reports.
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) March 25, 2026
It’s the latest addition of American troops to the Iran war effort after U.S. officials recently said thousands of Marines aboard several Navy ships will be heading to the region.
While the Marine units are trained in missions that include supporting U.S. embassies, evacuating civilians and disaster relief, the soldiers of the 82nd Airborne, based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, are trained to parachute into hostile or contested territory to secure key territory and airfields.
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When asked about the deployment, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly deferred to the Pentagon but noted that “President Trump always has all military options at his disposal.”
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee are scheduled to receive a classified briefing from Pentagon officials Wednesday on Capitol Hill where the potential deployment is expected to be discussed, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The New York Times earlier reported the possible deployment of the 82nd Airborne to the Middle East.
U.S. officials previously have said the Japan-based USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit had been ordered to the Middle East — shifting them from exercises near Taiwan.
They also confirmed that the Navy has rushed to deploy a set of ships carrying a rapid-response Marine force to the Middle East from their home post of San Diego.
