March 21, New Delhi — The United States military has deployed thousands of additional Marines to West Asia, as President Donald Trump criticised NATO allies for what he described as their reluctance to send forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Approximately 2,500 Marines have been sent to the region, along with the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, and accompanying warships. This latest deployment adds to the nearly 50,000 US troops already stationed in West Asia and will bring two Marine Expeditionary Units to the region. These units can conduct air strikes using aircraft aboard the ships or carry out ground operations.
President Trump said on Friday that the United States was close to achieving its objectives as it weighs scaling down military operations in the Iran war. He also urged countries that use the Strait of Hormuz to guard and police the vital shipping lane “as necessary.”
Earlier, the United Kingdom government authorised the United States to use its bases to strike Iranian sites posing threats to the Strait of Hormuz shipping route. However, Trump said on Friday that the United Kingdom should have acted faster in extending support to the United States in its military operations against Iran.
(File Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump)