A U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit comprising approximately 3,500 personnel entered the Central Command area of responsibility on Friday, according to defense officials, representing the largest single ground force deployment to the region since the outbreak of hostilities with Iran and underscoring Pentagon preparations for what military planners now characterize as potentially weeks of ground operations.
The deployment, first reported by Iran International, includes elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, along with embarked aviation assets and amphibious warfare ships. The MEU is built around an infantry battalion reinforced with artillery, armor, logistics, and aviation components—a combined-arms force designed for rapid power projection in contested environments.
"The deployment of the MEU provides the combatant commander with additional options," Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said in a brief statement Friday afternoon. "These Marines bring amphibious capability, vertical lift, and ground combat power that complement our ongoing air and naval operations."
The arrival of ground forces signals a potential expansion of U.S. military objectives beyond the air campaign that has targeted Iranian missile sites, drone facilities, and command-and-control infrastructure since March 15. Defense officials speaking on background have indicated that Pentagon planners are developing options for limited ground operations aimed at destroying hardened underground facilities that cannot be neutralized from the air.
A classified assessment prepared for senior military leadership last week concluded that eliminating Iran's remaining ballistic missile capabilities would require ground forces to target deeply buried storage sites and production facilities, according to reporting by The Washington Post. The study reportedly recommended deploying brigade-sized elements—between 3,000 and 5,000 troops—for operations lasting three to four weeks.



/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/Becs-roelfmeyer2.jpg)