[Salon] Pentagon to Deploy 3,000 82nd Airborne Soldiers to Gulf

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

The Wall Street Journal 3/24/29

Pentagon to Deploy 3,000 82nd Airborne Soldiers to Gulf

Deploying the troops would give President Trump strategic options, but officials caution that a decision to put boots on the ground in Iran hasn’t been made.

The Pentagon is planning to deploy about 3,000 soldiers from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East to support operations against Iran, according to two U.S. officials, with a written order expected in the coming hours.

Officials cautioned that a decision to put boots on the ground in Iran hasn’t been made. But deploying the 82nd opens the door to President Trump for several strategic options.

Meanwhile, Iran pressed its assault in the Middle East, hitting Israel as well as Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia with fresh attacks, as Tehran officials worried that diplomatic attempts to secure a cease-fire could be a trap.

The extended fighting came a day after Trump said the U.S. military would postpone strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days following “productive” talks with Tehran. Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied Tehran was in talks with the U.S.

Here’s what else to know:

Pakistan offered to mediate peace talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the war, an overture that was amplified by Trump on social media.

Amazon Web Services said the conflict has disrupted its cluster of data centers in Bahrain.

Iran appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as the secretary of its Supreme National Security Council, replacing Ali Larijani, who was killed last week.