More US Marines are deploying

Thousands more US Marines are deploying to the Middle East, officials say

By Haley Britzky and Zachary Cohen

Thousands more US Marines and sailors are heading towards the Middle East as the war with Iran is about to enter its fourth week. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Boxer Amphibious Ready Group have had their deployment rerouted and accelerated and are now expected to go to the Middle East, two US officials told CNN.

One of the officials said it was unclear if the entire ARG-MEU (Amphibious Ready Group and Marine Expeditionary Unit) would be deploying or if only some elements would be going to the Middle East. The group was originally expected to deploy to the Indo-Pacific region, the official said. It is also unclear when the original deployment date was, when the Marines would arrive in the region, or what specifically they would be doing when they arrived.

The deployment, first reported by Newsmax, comes as a second Marine expeditionary unit — the 31st MEU, and the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group — are also deploying to the region. CNN previously reported that the USS Tripoli was seen approaching Singapore earlier this week.

It’s unclear if both MEUs will operate in the Middle East simultaneously and for how long, or if the 11th MEU will replace the 31st upon its arrival.

The MEUs are rapid-response forces consisting of roughly 2,200 Marines and sailors. With the Amphibious Ready Group, the total number of personnel is roughly 4,500. While they can provide on-the-ground capabilities, the ARG-MEUs also come with aviation, logistics, and other support elements that provide more options to commanders and could “relieve pressure” on current operations in the Middle East, the first US official said.

MEUs are a Swiss Army knife of military capabilities: they have supported large-scale evacuation operations and other on-the-ground missions, and they come with substantial aviation and logistics components. The 11th MEU is capable of “conducting amphibious operations, selected maritime special operations at night or under adverse weather conditions, crisis response and limited contingency operations,” the unit’s website says.