According to the Washington Post, the US is sending additional troops to the Middle East this month.
Published on 15 April 2026
The United States is sending more than 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East before the end of April as Washington tries to increase pressure on Iran, US officials told The Washington Post.
The US is sending about 6,000 troops aboard the USS George HW Bush carrier and ships carrying it to the region, the newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing current and former US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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About 4,200 other soldiers from the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its accompanying Marine Corps Task Force, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are expected to arrive at the end of the month, the report said.
It was previously announced that about 50,000 troops were involved in the war against Iran that began on February 28.
With the imminent arrival of the USS George HW Bush, which is reportedly sailing around Africa, the number of carriers in the region will reach three.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald Ford are in the Middle East and took part in the fight against Iran.
The report, which Al Jazeera was unable to verify, comes as the US pressed for a naval blockade on Wednesday, saying it has halted maritime trade with Iran.
naval blockade
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media overnight that its previously announced blockade had been “fully implemented” and that US forces had “completely halted economic trade in and out of Iran by sea”.
The picture was less clear on Tuesday, based on maritime tracking data, which showed that many ships originating from Iranian ports had transited the Strait of Hormuz despite the blockade.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump told The New York Post on Tuesday that a new round of talks with Iran could take place in Pakistan “in the next two days” after a marathon first negotiating session ended without any breakthrough.
Last week, the US and Iran failed to reach an agreement to end the war following high-level talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, but a two-week ceasefire announced a week earlier remained in place. The ceasefire is due to expire on April 22.
According to officials who spoke to The Washington Post, the deployment of new troops will enable the US administration to continue negotiations with Iran, while also preparing for “the possibility of additional attacks or ground operations.”
