The United States is reportedly deploying over 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East by the end of April, a move aimed at intensifying pressure on Iran, according to US officials who spoke to The Washington Post. The newspaper, citing current and former US officials speaking anonymously, reported on Tuesday that approximately 6,000 of these troops would be aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and its accompanying escort ships, en route to the region. An additional 4,200 personnel from the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, including the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are anticipated to arrive around the same time, the report added.
This deployment comes after previous announcements indicated that around 50,000 troops have been involved in operations related to the conflict with Iran since its commencement on February 28. The impending arrival of the USS George H.W. Bush, reportedly circumnavigating Africa, will bring the total number of US aircraft carriers in the region to three. The USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford are already stationed in the Middle East and have been engaged in operations against Iran.
The report, which Al Jazeera could not independently verify, coincides with the US proceeding on Wednesday with a naval blockade, which Washington claims has effectively severed maritime trade with Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced overnight via social media that its previously declared naval blockade was “fully implemented,” asserting that American forces “have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.” However, maritime tracking data from Tuesday presented a less definitive picture, suggesting that several vessels departing Iranian ports had managed to traverse the Strait of Hormuz despite the blockade.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump informed The New York Post on Tuesday that a new round of discussions with Iran might occur in Pakistan “over the next two days,” following an extensive initial negotiating session that concluded without a breakthrough. Last week, high-stakes talks in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, failed to yield an agreement to end the conflict between the US and Iran, though a two-week ceasefire declared a week prior has held. This truce is scheduled to end on April 22.
According to the officials who spoke to The Washington Post, this new troop deployment is intended to allow the US administration to continue diplomatic talks with Iran while simultaneously preparing for “the possibility of additional strikes or ground operations.”
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