Reports say USS Tripoli, along with U.S. Marines, en route to the Middle East
A circulating report on Friday suggested that the United States is sending the amphibious warship to the Middle East, along with around 2,500 U.S. Marines
by Summer Lane | March 13, 2026
Amid reports that Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East is intensifying, reports have emerged that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is deploying an amphibious warship, along with its Marine expeditionary unit, to the Middle East.
The report, first scooped by the Wall Street Journal, spread like wildfire on Friday afternoon. Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin said a defense official confirmed to the outlet that the Pentagon was deploying the USS Tripoli, a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, and the 31st Marine Expeditionary unit to the region.
This is a big development in a war that has been fought entirely from the air so far and comes amid Americans’ lingering fears that U.S. troops will be deployed on the ground. However, it also intersects with the U.S. military’s continued posturing over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has continued to threaten.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that the U.S. Navy was possibly preparing to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as it is militarily possible.”
This movement could certainly be linked to securing the Strait of Hormuz more so than the possibility of putting U.S. boots on the ground. The Pentagon thus far has declined to rule out the option of deploying troops to the Middle East.
According to reports, this deployment of the USS Tripoli will collectively bring around 2,500 U.S. Marines to the Middle East.
To date, 13 U.S. servicemembers have been killed since the launch of Operation Epic Fury. The most recent six casualties, sadly, were the victims of a mid-air collision. These six casualties were the crew of a KC-135 refueling aircraft. General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed on Friday that their deaths were not the result of hostile fire, but rather, a tragic accident.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” CENTCOM noted Friday morning.
Photo: Pixabay
