US deploys Marines to West Asia as strikes hit Iran and war rattles region

The United States has ordered the deployment of 2,500 Marines and an amphibious assault ship to West Asia, a US official said on Friday, marking a significant reinforcement of American forces in the region nearly two weeks after war erupted with Iran, according to reporting by the Associated Press.

The official told AP that elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli had been directed to move towards the region. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military planning.

Hours after news of the deployment emerged, US President Donald Trump said American forces had “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, the Persian Gulf terminal that handles the bulk of the country’s oil exports. Trump warned that the island’s oil infrastructure could be targeted next.

The warning came a day after Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf cautioned that any attack on Iran’s southern maritime islands would trigger a new level of retaliation.

Meanwhile in Tehran, a powerful explosion shook Ferdowsi Square, where thousands had gathered for an annual state-organised Quds Day rally in support of Palestinians and against Israel. Israel had earlier warned that the area could be targeted.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. But the decision by Iranian authorities to proceed with the rally — attended by senior officials — despite the threat underscored the determination on both sides as the conflict intensifies and continues to rattle global energy markets.

Iran has continued to launch missile and drone attacks across the region, targeting Israel and several neighbouring Gulf states. Tehran has also effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passes.

At the same time, US and Israeli aircraft have carried out repeated strikes on Iranian military infrastructure across the country.

The humanitarian situation in Lebanon has also deteriorated sharply. Nearly 800 people have been killed and around 850,000 displaced after Israel launched waves of airstrikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters, warning that the campaign would continue.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the conflict would end “when I feel it in my bones”. However, he sounded more cautious about the possibility of the Iranian government being overthrown.

“So I really think that's a big hurdle to climb for people that don't have weapons,” Trump said, referring to the Basij paramilitary force that has played a key role in suppressing protests inside Iran.

US sends Marines and assault ship toward region

The incoming forces include the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, a rapid-response formation capable of conducting amphibious assaults as well as securing embassies, evacuating civilians and carrying out humanitarian missions.

AP reported that the new deployment does not necessarily indicate that a US ground invasion is imminent. The Wall Street Journal first reported the Marine deployment.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the USS Tripoli are normally based in Japan and had been operating in the Pacific in recent days, according to images released by the US military. Commercial satellite images spotted the Tripoli sailing alone near Taiwan, placing it more than a week away from waters off Iran.

Earlier this week, the US Navy already had 12 vessels in the Arabian Sea, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and eight destroyers. If the Tripoli joins the group, it would become the second-largest ship in the region after the Lincoln.

The total number of US troops deployed across West Asia remains unclear, though Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar alone typically hosts around 8,000 American personnel.

US strikes target Kharg Island

Trump said the US operation against Kharg Island targeted military facilities but spared oil infrastructure for the moment. However, he warned that if Iran or other actors interfere with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington could reconsider that restraint and move to “wipe out the Oil Infrastructure”.

Iranian officials had already warned against such strikes. Qalibaf said attacks on the islands guarding Iran’s southern maritime approaches would cause Tehran to “abandon all restraint”, highlighting their strategic and economic importance.

Explosion shakes Tehran rally

The explosion in Tehran struck near Ferdowsi Square around midday as thousands gathered for the Quds Day demonstration, chanting “death to Israel” and “death to America”.

Shortly before the blast, Israel issued a warning in Persian on the social media platform X urging people to evacuate the area. However, many Iranians were unlikely to have seen it because authorities have severely restricted internet access.

Video footage showed smoke rising from the area while crowds chanted “God is greatest”.

The Israeli military later issued another message in Persian criticising Iranian authorities for blocking internet access and noting that the head of Iran’s judiciary had been present at the rally.

Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei was giving an interview to state television when the blast occurred. His bodyguards quickly surrounded him as he raised his fist and declared that Iran “under this rain and missiles will never withdraw”.

Thousands of targets struck in Iran

Israel earlier announced another wave of strikes inside Iran, saying its air force had hit more than 200 targets in the past 24 hours, including missile launchers, air defence systems and weapons production facilities.

In Washington, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said more than 15,000 enemy targets had been struck since the start of the conflict — averaging over 1,000 per day.

Hegseth also downplayed concerns about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. “We have been dealing with it and don't need to worry about it,” he told reporters.

US tanker crash kills six crew members

The US military also confirmed that all six crew members aboard a KC-135 refuelling aircraft were killed after it crashed in Iraq, raising the American death toll in the conflict to at least 13 service members. Ohio governor Mike DeWine said three of the victims were members of the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refuelling Wing.

US Central Command said the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire. Two aircraft had been involved in the incident, though one landed safely.

The tanker is the fourth US aircraft publicly reported to have crashed during operations related to the war. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by friendly Kuwaiti fire.

Iran launches new regional attacks

Iran also continued attacks across the Gulf. In Oman, two people were killed when drones crashed in the Sohar region, according to the Oman News Agency.

A US official told AP that the Navy destroyer USS Oscar Austin shot down an Iranian ballistic missile over Turkiye on Friday, marking the third such interception above the NATO member state in the past two weeks.

Fighting intensifies in Lebanon

The conflict has also escalated sharply along Israel’s northern frontier with Lebanon. An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon hit a healthcare centre in the village of Burj Qalaouiyah, killing 12 medical workers including doctors, paramedics and nurses, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

Earlier on Friday, at least eight people were killed in another strike on the coastal city of Sidon.

Lebanon’s health ministry said 773 people — including more than 100 children and 18 paramedics — have been killed since the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah forces erupted 10 days ago.

With AP/PTI inputs