Trump sends military to open Strait of Hormuz by force
President deploys marine unit that could put boots on the ground to secure key route for oil
Donald Trump is sending US marines to the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as concerns grow that rising oil prices could cause a global recession.
The president ordered a warship carrying an expeditionary unit that could lead to boots on the ground in Iran.
Mr Trump pledged that US forces would hit the Iranian regime “very hard” over the next week and added that the war with Tehran would end “when I feel it in my bones”.
More tankers came under fire from Iranian forces on Friday after the new supreme leader pledged to keep the strait closed until attacks on Iran stopped.
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, insisted to reporters that they “don’t need to worry about” the strait. It was “something we are dealing with”, he said.
US officials confirmed on Friday that the USS Tripoli had already departed from Okinawa, Japan, with 5,000 sailors and a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The expeditionary unit is capable of carrying out special air and surface operations and has landing force capabilities, but is unlikely to arrive for another two weeks.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/03/13/trump-sends-military-to-open-strait-of-hormuz-by-force/
Donald Trump is deploying 5,000 US marines to the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Pete Hegseth, US defence secretary, has approved a request from US Central Command – which oversees American military operations in the region – to deploy part of a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and the USS Tripoli, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The USS Tripoli was seen in the Bashi Channel, between Taiwan and the Philippines, on its way to the Middle East on Friday night.
Iran said it was closing the strait shortly after the United States and Israel began their attacks on February 28. Iranian strikes have since hit multiple vessels in the area including oil tankers.
Yesterday US officials reported that Iran had begun laying mines in the Gulf channel, which carries 20 per cent of the world’s oil.
The USS Tripoli was stationed out of Japan and would take around two weeks to reach the Mideast.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/13/iran-war-latest-news-us-lifts-sanctions-russian-oil/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_youtube_us-lifts-sanctions-russian-oil%2F
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