The US amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, carrying about 3,500 sailors and Marines, has arrived in the Middle East, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday, as the Pentagon weighs its next steps in the conflict with Iran.
“US sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli (LHA-7) arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility on March 27,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.
The deployment comes amid signals from Washington that military operations may be limited in duration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States expects to conclude operations within weeks, although additional forces have begun arriving in the region, according to Reuters.
Earlier this month, CNN reported that the Pentagon planned to deploy a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to the Middle East.
MEUs are typically used for missions such as large-scale evacuations and amphibious operations requiring ship-to-shore movement, including raids and assaults. They include integrated ground and aviation combat elements, and some units are also trained for special operations.
A source familiar with the deployment said the presence of a MEU provides commanders with greater flexibility to respond to a wide range of contingencies.
With inputs from agencies
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
