Pentagon orders 2,500 troops, 3 warships from California to the Middle East

WASHINGTON- The Pentagon is reportedly sending three California-based warships and about 2,500 Marines to the Middle East, which would be the second major deployment in a week.

The three warships are part of the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, based in San Diego. The Marines belong to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Pendleton. The deployments were reported Friday by the Associated Press, citing Pentagon sources.

A 2,500-strong Marine unit accompanied by the warship USS Tripoli launched Saturday from Japan.

The major buildup comes as the war’s economic shockwaves are felt around the world, as Washington seeks to secure vital shipping lanes and deter further attacks on energy infrastructure around the Persian Gulf.

President Trump continued to pressure allies to join his proposed coalition to patrol the Iranian-controlled Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes. So far, Europe, Japan, China and Australia have refused to respond to this call.

Trump said Thursday that Iran “is on the verge of being demolished” but that securing the Strait of Hormuz remained a struggle. He suggested that the United States was working to secure the strait not for its own oil needs, but “just to be nice” to other countries that depend on the region’s oil to a much greater extent than the United States.

“They complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the sole reason for the high oil prices. It’s so easy for them to do it, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will remember it!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.

Iran continued its large-scale attacks on Middle Eastern energy facilities on Wednesday, in retaliation for Israeli strikes on its Iranian South Pars field, the world’s largest natural gas deposit. The aftermath dragged the Gulf states into war, amid the greatest disruption of energy supplies in history.

Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s largest oil refinery on Friday. Similar attacks sparked fires in the industrial city of Ras Laffan in Qatar, shutting down energy products from the world’s largest natural gas hub. Repairs are expected to take years.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates’ air defense systems thwarted Iranian missiles overnight, and Saudi Arabia has said it could respond forcefully if Iran continues to attack the kingdom’s facilities.

Israel announced Friday that it had killed Esmail Ahmadi, senior intelligence official of the Iranian Basij and deputy to its commander, in an airstrike. Officials described Ahmadi as “one of the most important pillars” of the Basij volunteer paramilitary force.

Even as Israel carries out daily decapitation airstrikes in Tehran and the United States deploys new forces on its doorstep, the Islamic Republic has not wavered.

Abolfazl Shekarchi, chief spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, said U.S. and Israeli officials could be targeted around the world.

“From now on, based on the information we have, even recreational and tourist places around the world will no longer be safe for you,” Shekarchi said.

Oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel and found a new volatile low amid the chaos.

Financial markets reacted with sustained losses. Wall Street recorded its fourth consecutive week of decline, as investors increasingly priced in the risk that rising energy costs could slow economic growth while reigniting inflation. Analysts warn that persistently high crude prices risk reducing corporate margins and weighing on consumer spending in the United States and beyond.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that the conflict could also drive up inflation. The Federal Reserve now faces new uncertainty as it considers whether to keep interest rates higher for longer in response to rising energy costs.

At a White House event on Friday, Trump said the US military operation is “going extremely well in Iran.”

“The difference between them and us is they had a navy two weeks ago and they don’t have one anymore. It’s all at the bottom of the sea,” Trump said. “Fifty-eight ships were destroyed in two days and we have the greatest navy in the world. It’s not even close.”

The president did not answer questions from journalists present in the room. But in off-the-cuff remarks, he said the United States and Iran were not engaging in negotiations because their leaders “are all gone,” adding to uncertainty over the war’s exit strategy.

“We are going through a difficult time, we want to talk to them and there is no one to talk to,” he said. “We have no one to talk to and you know what? We love that.”