U.S. Reportedly Sends Over 2,000 Marines And Three Amphibious Ships To The Middle East

The U.S. is sending a Marine expeditionary unit comprised by 2,200 Marines to the Middle East, according to a new report.

ABC News detailed that the troops will sail to the region aboard three Navy amphibious ships. The deployment doesn't necessarily mean boots will be put on the ground in Iran, the outlet noted, but the assets are available should they be needed.

Trump has said he wouldn't reveal whether troops will be sent to Iran, but noted there could be boots on the ground "for a very good reason." "If we did that, they would be so decimated that they wouldn't be able to fight at the ground level," Trump said last week.

Moreover, a report by Axios detailed that the president is considering sending special forces to Iran to seize the country's highly enriched uranium stockpile. The outlet noted that such an operation could take place at a later stage of the war. Iran has 450 kilograms of uranium enriched by 60%, much higher than the level used for civilian purposes and one that could be converted into weapons grade within weeks.

Elsewhere, The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that others could be after the stockpile as well.

Officials familiar with the report noted that Iran could get to the uranium through a very narrow access point, but it is unclear how quickly Tehran could move the uranium, which is in gas form stored in canisters.

They clarified, however, that U.S. spy agencies are constantly monitoring the location, in Isfahan, and could react to any such development. The U.S. government could also be considering the possibility that Iran turns over the uranium as part of a deal to end the war.

The NYT detailed in another passage of the report that the U.S. decided against trying to retrieve the uranium during last year's attacks in Iran because Trump determined that it would be too dangerous.

There has also been speculation about whether the U.S. could put boots on the ground to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which 20% of the world's energy goes through, and Iran has effectively closed in the past days. The impossibility to safely send vessels has led prices to spike, with Brent crude selling at over $100 a barrel on Friday.