
U.S. Tops 50,000 Troops in the Middle East as Iran Tensions Persist
The United States now has more than 50,000 troops in the Middle East after dispatching about 2,500 Marines and 2,500 sailors, roughly 10,000 above the usual level, as President Trump weighs broader options against Iran and the Strait of Hormuz; the total excludes the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, which withdrew from the region, while additional U.S. Army forces and potential ground operations loom, underscoring ongoing tensions around Hormuz, a chokepoint through which about 20% of global oil passes.











