Pentagon officials weigh deployment of Airborne Troops for Iran War to capture Kharg Island

U.S. military officials are actively considering the deployment of a combat brigade of 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division directly into Iran to capture Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.

The forces would come from the division’s Immediate Response Force brigade, capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours. Senior commanders have submitted specific requests aimed at preparing for this option.

Defense officials described the planning as prudent preparation. Nothing has been ordered by the Pentagon or U.S. Central Command.

Another possibility being considered is an attack by about 2,500 troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is on its way to the region.

The airfield on Kharg Island was damaged by recent U.S. bombing raids. Former commanders said it was more likely to first bring in Marines, whose combat engineers could quickly repair airfields and other infrastructure. Once the airfield is repaired, the Air Force could start flowing matériel and supplies, as well as troops, if necessary, by C-130s.

In that scenario, the troops from the 82nd Airborne would augment the Marines. The upside of going with paratroopers is they can arrive overnight. The downside is they do not bring any heavy equipment, such as heavily armored vehicles, that would offer protection if Iranian forces counterattacked.

The Marines lack the sustainment and staying power of the forces from the 82nd Airborne, which could be used to relieve the Marine forces after the initial attack on the island.

The headquarters element from the 82nd Airborne would be used as a subordinate headquarters for mission planning and coordination in what is becoming an increasingly complex battle space.

In early March, the Army abruptly canceled the 300-member headquarters’s participation in an exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk to keep the command element at Fort Bragg ready for immediate deployment.