Latest Breaking News

mahatmakanejeeves

(70,144 posts) Wed Apr 15, 2026, 06:26 AM 7 hrs ago

U.S. sends thousands more troops to Mideast as Trump seeks to squeeze Iran

Source: Washington Post

U.S. sends thousands more troops to Mideast as Trump seeks to squeeze Iran

The deployment includes sailors and Marines due to arrive as the administration attempts to enforce a maritime blockade against the regime in Tehran.

April 15, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. EDT 25 minutes ago
7 min

The USS George H.W. Bush pulls away from Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia last month. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/AP)

By Dan Lamothe

The Pentagon is sending thousands of additional troops into the Middle East in the coming days, as the Trump administration attempts to pressure Iran into a deal that could end the weeks-long conflict there while considering the possibility of additional strikes or ground operations if a fragile ceasefire does not hold, U.S. officials said.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/15/us-troops-iran-blockade/

This comes as a complete surprise.

6 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

U.S. sends thousands more troops to Mideast as Trump seeks to squeeze Iran (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves 7 hrs ago OP

"When a potentate ain't so potent in his State, he summons help fast" - Sparks /nt bucolic_frolic 6 hrs ago #1

And the military and Congress just go merrily along with whatever travelingthrulife 4 hrs ago #2

NPR reported yesterday on low military morale. wnylib 3 hrs ago #4

So exactly where are our 5000 marines? CanonRay 4 hrs ago #3

More provocation Bayard 3 hrs ago #5

Squeezing Iran? Maybe. SergeStorms 1 hr ago #6

bucolic_frolic

(55,378 posts)

1. "When a potentate ain't so potent in his State, he summons help fast" - Sparks /nt

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Wed Apr 15, 2026, 07:21 AM

6 hrs ago

travelingthrulife

(5,303 posts)

2. And the military and Congress just go merrily along with whatever

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Wed Apr 15, 2026, 09:48 AM

4 hrs ago

the traitor dictates, no matter how stunningly wrong it is.

They need to stop taking oaths to protect our democracy. The oaths are meaningless.

wnylib

(26,199 posts)

4. NPR reported yesterday on low military morale.

Reply to travelingthrulife (Reply #2)

Wed Apr 15, 2026, 10:29 AM

3 hrs ago

According to the program, the number of people seeking early release has increased since the US attacks on Venezuela and Iran. Others are seeking conscientious objector status.

A few of them were interviewed. They were concerned over the possibility of getting orders that violate their oath. Some were concerned about the DEI changes being made in the military and the firing of high ranking military officers. They are not a large group compared with the size of the military, but their numbers are increasing. One person, whose job is to advise and guide military people who want to leave early said that he was being flooded with requests for information. He also said that enlistment is down. The lower retention and enlistment rates are why the age for eligibility was raised.

So there are people in the military who are