The U.S. is accelerating the deployment of thousands of San Diego-based troops to the Middle East, NBC News has learned.
The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, made up of at least 2,200 Marines based at Camp Pendleton, has deployed ahead of schedule on USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, two people familiar with the decision told NBC News.
The deployment of USS Boxer was captured by San Diego Web Cam on Wednesday morning.
In a statement to NBC San Diego, a Navy spokesperson characterized the deployment as a routine operation in the Indo-Pacific.
“The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit is conducting routine operations in the Indo-Pacific to conduct routine training that ensures the continued war-fighting readiness of Navy and Marine forces operating in the area,” the statement said, in part.
The news comes just days after the U.S. military redirected another group of amphibious assault ships carrying Marines and sailors from the Pacific to the Middle East. Earlier this week, three U.S. officials confirmed to NBC News that the USS Tripoli and USS New Orleans, which have been operating in the Philippine Sea, were ordered to the Middle East. The pair of Marine Expeditionary Units will add about 5,000 Marines and sailors to the region where the U.S. is engaged in a war with Iran.
NBC News reported CENTCOM requested the additional forces because “part of the plan for this war was to have marines available to provide options for use,” according to a U.S. official.
The deployment of the Marine Expeditionary Unit is notable because they are trained for crisis response, like evacuations from dangerous areas and protecting embassies. They are also trained to be the first ones in on the ground to set up areas for other forces, like special operators, to enter a region and conduct a mission.
A Pentagon official declined to comment on the deployment, telling NBC News, “Due to operations security, we do not discuss future or hypothetical movements.”
The U.S.-Israel war with Iran is nearing a fourth week with no end in sight, even as American and Israeli officials lauded gains made by airstrikes that have decimated Iran’s military and leadership. The Pentagon, meanwhile, has requested another $200 billion to fund the war, which would need congressional approval.
More than 2,000 people have been killed across the Middle East. In Iran, more than 1,300 people have died, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. At least 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon, and 13 have died in Israel. Thirteen U.S. military members have bene killed, and two more died of noncombat causes. Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, on Friday called for the enemies of his nation to have their “security” taken away, his latest message to the public.
Khamenei made the remarks in a statement issued on his behalf to President Masoud Pezeshkian after Israel killed Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.
The USS Boxer held a change of command on March 13, less than a week before the deployment. Capt. Eli Owre assumed the duties and responsibilities as commanding officer from Capt. Jason Tumlinson.
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