
The Pentagon has ordered about 2,000 soldiers from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to begin moving to the Middle East, offering President Donald Trump additional military options as he considers a new diplomatic initiative with Iran, two Defence Department officials said Tuesday.
The troops are part of the division’s “Immediate Response Force,” a brigade of around 3,000 soldiers capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours. The contingent includes Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier, the division commander, along with dozens of staff members and two battalions of about 800 soldiers each, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to operational sensitivity.