The increase in US forces deployed to the Middle East, combined with President Trump's new threat to destroy Iran's power plants, is building expectations among US and Israeli officials that the conflict could lead to a battle over the Strait of Hormuz and nearby energy hubs. Officials now see reopening the waterway—which normally carries about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas—as the central military goal, the Washington Post reports, overtaking earlier hopes that the campaign might topple Iran's leadership or permanently end its nuclear ambitions. The US is sending about 4,500 sailors and Marines, including an infantry battalion with helicopters, F-35s, and armored landing craft, and has accelerated deployment of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Author: Bob Cronin with Newser.AI
Published at: 2026-03-22 22:00:00
Still want to read the full version? Full article
