US Deploys 5,000 Marines to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

The United States is sending 5,000 Marines to the Middle East to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Wall Street Journal. Reports say US defence secretary Pete Hegseth approved a US Central Command request to deploy elements of a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli. The USS Tripoli was sighted in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines on Friday night, heading toward the Middle East. Iran announced the strait’s closure after US and Israeli strikes began on February 28. Iranian attacks have hit several vessels, including oil tankers, and US officials say Iran has started laying mines in the key channel that carries about 20% of the world’s oil. The USS Tripoli, previously based in Japan, is expected to reach the region in about two weeks.

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