President Donald Trump reportedly ordered 3,000 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East this week, according to Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin, who shared the report on Tuesday.
Griffin wrote on X that Fox News has learned the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, Maj Gen Brandon Tegtmeier, and his “command element,” which includes members of his headquarters staff, have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East.
This move comes as the Pentagon and White House consider sending the full 82nd Airborne Division to the region for potential land operations.
The Wall Street Journal also confirmed the report, noting that officials said a decision to send soldiers to Iran had not yet been made.
However, deploying the 82nd Airborne Division opens the door for President Trump to pursue several strategic options.
Fox News has learned that the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Maj Gen Brandon Tegtmeier and his “command element,” members of his headquarters staff, have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East as the Pentagon and White House weigh whether to send the 82nd Airborne…
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) March 24, 2026
Griffin’s report also mentioned that there has been talk about the U.S. possibly using ground forces to take control of Kharg Island or carry out other missions inside Iran.
She explained that this would be an important first step in preparing for such a contingency.
On Monday, Trump announced that the U.S. and Iran had started “concrete” talks to end the ongoing conflict, which has spread to other countries in the region as Iran has retaliated against Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and other U.S. allies.
Trump said he would hold off on further bombing of Iranian energy targets for five days to give the negotiations a chance. Kharg Island is home to some of Iran’s most important energy facilities and is a key target for the U.S. in case of any escalation.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, “So here’s what I tell President Trump: keep it up for a few more weeks, take Kharg Island where all of the resources they have to produce oil, control that island, let this regime die on a vine.”
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