WSJ: U.S. Will Move Thousands Of Marines To The Middle East

• 13.03.2026, 19:13

Due to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Pentagon is moving a Marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran's armed forces, WSJ reported, citing two U.S. officials.

Some time ago, U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East, submitted a request to the Pentagon, WSJ reported. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved CENTCOM's request. An expeditionary unit typically consists of 2,500 infantrymen.

The newspaper interprets the Pentagon's decision in the context of Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world's oil trade takes place. The day before, Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said the country would use the strait as leverage in a conflict with the US and Israel.