Tuesday 24/March/2026 – 03:23 AM
Senior military officials are examining the possibility of deploying a brigade combat team from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, and some elements of the division’s staff, to support U.S. military operations in Iran, defense officials said.
US ground invasion of Iran
Officials described to the New York Times that the military actions were wise planning, noting that no orders had been issued by the Pentagon or US Central Command, which declined to comment. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing planning.
According to the New York Times, the combat forces will come from the “Quick Reaction Force” of the 82nd Airborne Division, a brigade of about 3,000 soldiers capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
These forces could be used to seize Khark Island, Iran’s main oil export hub. Another possibility is under consideration, if President Trump authorizes US forces to seize the island, an attack by about 2,500 soldiers from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, already heading to the region.
Officials noted that the Marines lacked the resilience and survivability of the 82nd Airborne Division, which could be used to relieve pressure on the Marines after the initial assault on the island.
The 82nd Airborne Division headquarters was intended to be used as a subcommand center for mission planning and coordination on a complex battlefield, and in early March, the Army abruptly canceled the 300-member headquarters’ participation in an exercise at the Joint Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Army officials explained that they had made the decision to maintain the division headquarters at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in anticipation of any order from the Pentagon to send the ready brigade to the Middle East, to avoid any inappropriate situation when the order was issued.
The 82nd Airborne Division’s immediate response force, or Ready Brigade, has deployed several times in recent years on short notice, including to the Middle East in January 2020 after the attack on the Baghdad embassy, to Afghanistan in August 2021 for evacuations, and to Eastern Europe in 2022 to support operations in Ukraine.
