As U.S. President Donald Trump keeps stressing that talks with Iran are going well, U.S. ground troops are arriving across the Middle East.
According to Reuters on the 30th (local time), thousands of soldiers from the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division have arrived in the Middle East. Earlier, reports said a total of 2,000 troops had been dispatched, but their specific location was not disclosed.
Airborne divisions are trained to infiltrate behind enemy lines using parachutes and are considered forces the United States can deploy quickly to conflict zones. In particular, the 82nd Airborne Division is one of the most highly regarded elite divisions in U.S. Army history and has been deployed in World War I and II, the Vietnam War, the U.S.-Afghanistan War, and the Iraq War.
The forces deployed this time are known to include division headquarters personnel, some logistics and support functions, and one brigade combat team (BCT).
The United States also released that about 2,500 Marines arrived in the Middle East over the weekend. Whether to send ground forces into Iran has not yet been decided, but they appear to be building capabilities in case talks fall through.
In fact, President Donald Trump earlier said negotiations with Iran were making significant progress, but warned that if talks fail, he would completely devastate infrastructure including Kharg Island, Iranian power plants, and oil fields.
There is also talk that the Air Force, Navy, and ground forces could conduct operations along Iran's coastline to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Regarding this, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "The United States will never accept Iran's end-of-war conditions, including imposing transit fees for the Strait of Hormuz," while emphasizing, "President Trump prefers a diplomatic option."