Amid tensions in Gulf region, US sends another warship to Middle East; Is Trump planning full-blown attack on Iran?

The USS Tripoli carries approximately 2,200 US Marine commandos, whose objective may be to seize Kharg Island.

USA, Middle East, Iran, Tehran, Washington, USS Tripoli, United States, USS Boxer, Marine commandos, Kharg Island, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz — Kharg Island is situated merely 20 miles off the Iranian mainland. (File)

New Delhi: Following the deployment of the USS Tripoli, the United States has dispatched yet another warship, the USS Boxer, to the Middle East. The USS Tripoli carries approximately 2,200 US Marine commandos, whose objective may be to seize Kharg Island. Similarly, the USS Boxer is a combat vessel, and its mission could also involve landing troops inside Iran. However, a major question remains: will these warships dare to venture into the waters immediately adjacent to Iran? Doing so would place them directly in the crosshairs of Iranian missiles.

Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)

Consequently, questions are being raised as to how these US Marine commandos would actually land on Iranian soil or Kharg Island. Is there any nation willing to assist in landing American troops within Iran? According to ‘The War Zone’, the Pentagon is deploying the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, along with its associated Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), carrying troops and equipment belonging to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

Why Is US deploying these two warships?

The US has dispatched these two warships at a time when reports suggest the Trump administration is seriously considering seizing or blockading Kharg Island—an island of immense strategic importance to Iran, situated in the Persian Gulf. The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group also includes two additional amphibious warships: the ‘San Antonio-class USS Portland’ and the ‘Whidbey Island-class USS Comstock’. The 11th MEU comprises a total of approximately 2,500 troops, encompassing both air and ground combat elements.

US had earlier despatched USS Tripoli

If the reports regarding the deployment of these two warships are accurate, the United States has effectively dispatched 4,700 troops toward Iran. Two days ago, the America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and its Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)—which includes troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)—began moving from the Pacific Ocean toward the Middle East to provide support in the ongoing conflict against Iran.

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Citing anonymous officials, Axios reported that the Trump administration is preparing to impose a blockade around Iran’s Kharg Island—the primary hub from which Iran exports the majority of its oil. The main objective behind this move is to intensify pressure on the government in Tehran, thereby compelling it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military conducted an operation near Kharg Island last week, though it did not involve strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure.

US Marines vs IRGC soldiers

Kharg Island is situated merely 20 miles off the Iranian mainland, making US forces stationed there highly vulnerable to Iranian attacks. Furthermore, there is the distinct threat of guerrilla warfare. IRGC fighters are experts in guerrilla tactics; for U.S. troops, this scenario could mirror the conditions in Vietnam, a conflict where a relatively small number of enemy combatants inflicted devastating losses upon the US military.

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