Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Exclusive-US weighs military reinforcements as Iran war enters possible new phase
Reuters via Yahoo ^ | March 18th, 2026 | By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Erin Banco and Gram Slattery

Posted on 03/18/2026 5:47:50 PM PDT by Mariner

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the U.S. military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran, said a U.S. official and three people familiar with the matter.

The deployments could help provide Trump ‌with additional options as he weighs expanding U.S. operations, with the Iran war well into its third week.

Those options include securing safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a ‌mission that would be accomplished primarily through air and naval forces, the sources said. But securing the Strait could also mean deploying U.S. troops to Iran's shoreline, said four sources, including two U.S. officials.

Reuters granted the sources anonymity to speak about military planning.

The Trump administration has also ​discussed options to send ground forces to Iran's Kharg Island, the hub for 90% of Iran's oil exports, the three people familiar with the matter and three U.S. officials said. One of the officials said such an operation would be very risky. Iran has the ability to reach the island with missiles and drones.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: antisemitesonfr; bibidecides; dpettytroll; enjoytheoccupation; fafo; followurordersgoyim; goyimareexpendable; hormuz; iran; israelhaters; israelincommand; israeluberalles; itsthejooos; onlyisraelmatters; onlytrollzotsmatter; possiblenewphase; stormfrontersonfr; zotthefrnazis

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last
I don't think Reuters knows anything specific.

However, I don't see how you open Hormuz without taking Bandar Abbas at the apex of the strait. And yes, the US could do that.

At enormous political cost.

However, it's nothing compared to the cost to the nation of allowing Iran to maintain control over the strait and allow this current regime to stay in power.

Now that we're in this mess, we have to win it decisively.

1 posted on 03/18/2026 5:47:50 PM PDT by Mariner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Reuters via Yahoo - excrement in a cesspool.


2 posted on 03/18/2026 5:52:23 PM PDT by gibsonguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

I figure the only other thing you could do without boots on the ground is to start taking out civilian infrastructure in Iran - kill their power grid, cut off their ability to produce oil.


3 posted on 03/18/2026 5:58:45 PM PDT by fruser1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Dead Americans coming home in coffins. A real vote getter.


4 posted on 03/18/2026 6:00:23 PM PDT by dforest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Has anyone looked at a topographical map of Iran? And its coastline of over 1,500 miles?

After checking the map, keep in mind those mountains are riddled with caverns and honeycombed with shore-to-ship missile batteries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_campaign


5 posted on 03/18/2026 6:04:32 PM PDT by CatHerd (Whoever said "all's fair in love and war" probably never participated in either.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CatHerd
After checking the map, keep in mind those mountains are riddled with caverns and honeycombed with shore-to-ship missile batteries.

Do you have a source for "riddled with caverns and honeycombed with shore-to-ship missile batteries"?

6 posted on 03/18/2026 6:06:48 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Conservatives can't afford to sit out. Vote like your freedom depends on it, it does!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Reuters granted their sources anonymity, it’s like I’ve heard this somewhere before.


7 posted on 03/18/2026 6:07:40 PM PDT by Antihero101607
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Bet old Trump didn’t count on this.....so much for quick in and out...


8 posted on 03/18/2026 6:09:05 PM PDT by dpetty121263
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

“said a U.S. official and three people familiar with the matter”

more anonymous rumors being published as fact ... the nasty media strategy with anonymous sources is that you can have them say anything your want them to say, and then try to get confirmation or denial ...


9 posted on 03/18/2026 6:10:49 PM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dpetty121263

LOL- keep hope alive never Trumper!!!


10 posted on 03/18/2026 6:11:13 PM PDT by God luvs America
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Mariner
Now that we're in this mess, we have to win it decisively.

I never understood how the U.S. ended up with a Vietnam War memorial in D.C. with 50,000+ names on it until I began reading this kind of idiocy with boring regularity here on FR.

11 posted on 03/18/2026 6:11:53 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("There's somebody new and he sure ain't no rodeo man.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Help Needed .. https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4371180/posts


12 posted on 03/18/2026 6:14:11 PM PDT by deport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: catnipman
And when the “anonymous rumors” turn out to be true, you can be sure that you’ll find a cacophony of cheerleading from warmongering FR Boomers claiming that “this is what I voted for!” …

… even after the same clowns insisted days or weeks earlier that the rumors were just TDS media lies.

13 posted on 03/18/2026 6:14:29 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("There's somebody new and he sure ain't no rodeo man.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: dpetty121263
"Just a little excursion"

More likely he didn't know the difference between incursion and excursion

14 posted on 03/18/2026 6:17:33 PM PDT by hcmama (Love that guy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: CatHerd
Bracken (who of course used to post here regularly/extensively) has been posting about this lately on X and Gab. He's not wrong. The single Marine battalion in a MEU isn't all that much. Then again, complete air dominance is a thing. If we can take out all the drones. Also, things get interesting if the people manage to really rise up.

It is an interesting time.

https://x.com/Matt_Bracken48/status/2033646945819103247

"I make these maps because I'm convinced most Americans have no concept of scale when it comes to warfare.

🧵 over on X: https://x.com/Matt_Bracken48/status/2033646945819103247

I point to all the folks high-fiving over a single Marine battalion landing team on its way to the conflict zone. An Amphibious Ready Group's BLT means about 1,200 combat Marines going ashore.

By comparison, and please look at the chart and the islands, Okinawa took 4 Army and 3 Marine divisions 82 days to conquer, at the cost of 12,500 American KIA and 36,000 WIA. Okinawa is smaller than Qeshm.

Iwo Jima, smaller than Larak Island, took a month and 6,800 Marine KIA and 19,000 WIA to subdue.

On both islands, US Navy battleships and cruisers spent weeks blasting every suspected Japanese position with 8" to 16" cannons. All the experts were sure no Japs could be left alive. The experts were wrong.

The Iranians have spent decades digging in for this "Big Event." The Iranian IRGC Shia Islam code of martyrdom is as strong as the Japanese code of Bushido during WW2. They will not surrender, IMHO.

It doesn't matter if we turn Teheran (700 miles north) into a parking lot."

I really, really hope Matt is wrong on this.

15 posted on 03/18/2026 6:18:51 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Mariner
Reminiscent of good old John McCain's "We're in it so we got to win it."

Makes as much sense today as it did back then

16 posted on 03/18/2026 6:20:09 PM PDT by hcmama (Love that guy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dpetty121263

No one said it was going to be a quick “ in and out.”
The US conflict with Iran began in 1979.
The mullah psycho-regime has attacked 12 countries in 18 days.
They absolutely would use nukes if they had them.


17 posted on 03/18/2026 6:25:49 PM PDT by doc maverick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

The US never worked to end Viet Nam decisively. To win that war.
Decisively.
That was never the plan.


18 posted on 03/18/2026 6:26:24 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

“Those options include securing safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a ‌mission that would be accomplished primarily through air and naval forces, the sources said. But securing the Strait could also mean deploying U.S. troops to Iran’s shoreline, said four sources, including two U.S. officials.”

* Total Deflection. from a:

* 30 Trillion Private National Currency “Spill” A real Spill

* Protection Racket.

* We, The United States, have plenty of oil. Notice no gas ⛽ lines.

* This is a currency protection Racket. And military protection Racket rider.

* Time to go home


19 posted on 03/18/2026 6:27:12 PM PDT by Varsity Flight ( "War by 🙏 the prophesies set before you." ) I Timothy 1:18. Nazarite warriors. 10.5.6.5 These Days)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner
I don't see how you open Hormuz without taking Bandar Abbas at the apex of the strait. And yes, the US could do that.

Thought exercise: why does the Strait need to be opened? It mainly supplies the EU and China anyway. We have all the oil and gas we need domestically and in the Western Hemisphere. Trump already asked them if they wanted to participate in escorts to open it - and they said NO. Maybe with a little more pressure on them, they can straighten out their own ally, Iran (especially China)

20 posted on 03/18/2026 6:27:36 PM PDT by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson