When the U.S. launched its campaign against Iran six months ago, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised a quick, decisive blow that would avoid a long entanglement.
Now, he is quietly extending troop deployments in a sign that the conflict could drag well into next year, according to people familiar with the matter.
Navy officials have indicated it could go to the Middle East, although its final destination hasn’t been announced. “They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight? Aides are advising Trump that an escalation of the Iran war beyond recent tit-for-tat strikes could endanger Republican prospects in the November midterm elections. U.S. Central Command declined to comment, citing operational security. The White House pointed to Trump’s comments. Navy ships and crews are also being stretched as they continue to enforce Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports. Several of the destroyers, including the USS Delbert D. Black and the USS Spruance, were sent to the Middle East for the opening salvos of the Iran war. The ship is still conducting training exercises and hasn’t yet departed, so if it is sent to support Iran operations, it could remain in the region well into spring. The fighting has prevented the Navy from resupplying in the Middle East, forcing it instead to rely largely on the remote island of Diego Garcia, a military base the U.S. shares with the U.K. in the Indian Ocean. Navy official and now a senior fellow with the Hudson Institute. “But to sustain it at this level, it means you’re giving up presence in other regions. So you’re kind of going all in on Iran being the focus of military posture over the next year. “They can’t go to the bathroom without us seeing it. Write to Shelby Holliday at [email protected] and Alexander Ward at [email protected]
Army air defenders, who work under pressure to bat down Iran’s missiles and drones, have seen their standard deployment timeline shift from nine months to 12, one of the people said. The U.S. currently has 19 warships in the waters of the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers and 13 guided-missile destroyers, according to a Navy official. Now enforcing the blockade, these smaller warships with 300 people aboard are sailing for several months at a time, instead of taking breaks every month or so, some of the people said. The Pentagon could also keep elements of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in the Middle East well into 2027, according to a letter sent by military leaders to families, which was viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Privately, Trump is having discussions with senior aides about whether to declare the Iran war over, U.S. officials said, noting Trump has said he favors the idea. Trump also tells aides that he believes sticking with economic pressure will eventually force the regime either to dismantle its nuclear program or collapse, they said. “I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing,” he wrote on social media. The president has said he isn’t taking electoral consequences into account when making decisions on the war. As the conflict drags on, the Pentagon’s deployment schedules are growing longer too, according to the people familiar with the matter. Warship crews, air defense units and paratroopers are among the forces being ordered to stay in the region longer than expected, the people said. A Pentagon official declined to comment on troop deployments but said the department provides various options for the commander in chief. Some units that moved to the Middle East from their planned posts in Europe and the Pacific have already been deployed for more than a year, according to the people. “The operational tempo for air defense units before this war was already among the highest of the joint force,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He said the extended deployments risk wearing out troops, delaying maintenance and hampering longer-term modernization efforts. The crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is preparing to deploy for a longer-than-normal schedule, an official said. Complicating matters for sailors and Marines aboard those ships is a loss of logistics in the region, according to the people familiar with the matter. the plan to keep aircraft carriers in the region indicates that the Trump administration wants to maintain strong offensive capabilities should fighting escalate, said Bryan Clark, a former senior U.S While Navy destroyers serve as the backbone of the blockade. “They’re setting it up to be sustained over the long haul, meaning well into next year,” Clark said. “We do not share that lightly, and we understand that a longer tour weighs heavily on every household, including our own,” the letter said. Trump told reporters Wednesday the U.S. military would remain prepared to launch more strikes “any time we want,” much as it did this week after Iran tried to lay new mines in the Strait of Hormuz. “We see everything that they’re doing,” Trump said.
The conflict has already resulted in some of the longest Navy deployments in modern history. The USS Gerald R. The USS Abraham Lincoln is currently making its way home after another extended deployment that has been marked by challenging conditions that weighed on servicemembers .
Ford was at sea for 11 months before it returned home in May and became the longest-deployed aircraft carrier since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
As Trump waits to see if his strategy will work, the U.S. military is maintaining a presence of 50,000 troops in the region in part to give the president flexibility on next steps. The Pentagon’s all-in approach comes as Trump has sent mixed signals on what might happen next. Trump has embraced an economic pressure campaign in recent weeks in the hopes of forcing Iran to the negotiating table. Tehran has shown no sign of backing down, however, and the U.S. and Iran continue to exchange fire as both nations assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. Current missions include intercepting Iranian missiles, providing cover for commercial ships in the strait and blockading Iranian ports and coastal areas. U.S. forces also stand ready to launch larger offensive attacks should Trump choose to escalate the war. Last month, Trump received briefings from top aides on fresh war options including stepped-up airstrikes and sending in ground forces to seize Iranian islands near Hormuz. He was also considering bombing a fortified site called Pickaxe Mountain that could be used for covert nuclear work. Such missions require significant military assets. The long distances and extended deployments will also put a significant strain on ship maintenance in the future, analysts say.
That has led to a sharp decline in mail, care packages and time spent away from the confines of the ships, which allows sailors to clear their heads, according to the people.
