Pentagon sending more than 4,000 Marines, sailors to Middle East as buildup ramps up

The Pentagon is sending more than 4,000 Marines and sailors aboard three warships to the Middle East as the Navy buildup ramps up in the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) theater.

The USS Makin Island, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, the flagship vessel of the amphibious readiness group, was spotted departing San Diego on Monday.

The group is carrying the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a forward-deployed task force composed of about 2,200 Marines and sailors. The group also includes USS Anchorage and USS John P. Murtha, amphibious landing ships, which also left San Diego on Monday.

The Navy referred The Hill to the U.S. Pacific Fleet for comment.

“The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations,” a U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. “U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the region and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to execute our Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations – from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

“U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation and overflight, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the region,” the spokesperson added.

The U.S. already has the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, which carries the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, in the Middle East.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, is headed to the Centcom region to relieve the USS George Washington, which was sent to the Middle East from the Indo-Pacific.

The Roosevelt typically carries about 5,000 personnel on board the aircraft carrier. When combined with the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, the U.S. is sending about 9,000 personnel abroad multiple ships to the Middle East.

There are more than 50,000 U.S. service members operating in the Centcom region.

The USS George Washington and USS George H.W. Bush are in the Middle East.

The U.S. warships are helping enforce the U.S. naval blockade against ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports. The U.S. forces have redirected 125 commercial vessels to ensure compliance since resuming the blockade in July, Centcom said in an update Wednesday.

President Trump said Thursday that the U.S. war against Iran will conclude soon.

“Iran will very soon be ending — one way or the other,” the president told reporters, predicting that once it does, oil prices will go down.