U.S. Sends Marines to Middle East as Iran War Enters Second Week
The United States is escalating its military involvement in the conflict with Iran, dispatching a 2,500-strong Marine expeditionary force to the Middle East, as President Donald Trump has stated he will end the war “when I experience it in my bones.” The move comes as U.S. Forces struck Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil processing facility in the Persian Gulf, on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
The deployment of troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, based in Okinawa, Japan, signals a deepening commitment to the two-week-old war. The amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli is included in the deployment, according to reports. This development underscores growing regional tensions and the potential for a prolonged conflict.
So far, thirteen U.S. Troops have died in the conflict, including six who perished when a refueling aircraft crashed over western Iraq on Thursday night, March 13, 2026. Officials had initially reported only two survivors, but later confirmed all six were fatalities.
Meanwhile, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has claimed that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was “wounded and likely disfigured” in air strikes on the first day of the war. The average U.S. Nationwide gas price has risen to $3.644 a gallon, approaching $5 in some western states, reflecting the impact of the conflict on global energy markets.
Iranian human rights organizations report that more than 1,200 civilians have been killed in Iran as a result of U.S. And Israeli air strikes. In Lebanon, over 600 people have died in Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah, displacing hundreds of thousands and causing widespread destruction in Beirut.
The Pentagon and National Security Council reportedly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to U.S. Military strikes, potentially leading to significant economic disruption. While officials from the Departments of Energy and Treasury were involved in planning, analysis of potential economic fallout was given less weight than in previous administrations. The administration’s efforts to mitigate the economic consequences, including high-risk naval escorts of oil tankers, are currently considered too dangerous to implement.
President Trump has continued to downplay the turmoil in energy markets and the dangers posed by the conflict, telling Fox News that oil tanker crews should “demonstrate some guts” and proceed through the strait.
According to reports, President Trump is seeking a way to de-escalate the conflict and potentially withdraw from the war. The ongoing conflict is reportedly the least popular war in American history, though recent polls indicate a degree of support for the President’s handling of the situation.
Some analysts suggest that an Iranian civil war is not in the best interest of the United States. The U.S. Has reportedly exhausted munitions intended for several years of conflict.
