The United States is sending thousands of marines and a naval warship to the Middle East as Washington moves to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved a deployment request from US Central Command, authorising the dispatch of part of a Marine Amphibious Ready Group alongside the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the USS Tripoli, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The USS Tripoli, previously stationed in Japan, was tracked moving through the Bashi Channel — the waterway between Taiwan and the Philippines — on Friday night, placing it roughly two weeks from the region.
Iran moved to close the strait shortly after the United States and Israel launched military operations on 28 February. Since then, Iranian strikes have struck a number of vessels navigating the area, including oil tankers. US officials reported on Thursday that Iran had also begun laying mines within the Gulf channel, significantly raising the risk to commercial shipping.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically critical waterways in the world. Roughly 20 per cent of global oil flows through the narrow passage, making any prolonged closure a major concern for international energy markets and supply chains.
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is a rapid-response force routinely deployed across the Indo-Pacific and Middle East regions. Its combination with the USS Tripoli — an amphibious assault ship capable of supporting large-scale marine operations — signals a significant escalation in American military posture in the area.
No timeline has been given for when the force is expected to arrive or what operational steps would follow upon reaching the region.
