Hegseth extends Mideast deployments into 2027

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is extending deployments in the Mideast, escalating strain on troops and signaling that the dispute between the US and Iran could drag into next year, the Wall Street Journal reported.

WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is extending deployments in the Mideast, escalating strain on troops and signaling that the dispute between the US and Iran could drag into next year, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Six months ago, when the US launched its campaign against Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised a quick, fatal blow that would avoid an entanglement, according to people who know the matter.

People said it is an open-ended military strategy designed to give President Trump options in the war. But the deployment of 19 warships, air-defense units, fighter squadrons and paratroopers across the region is straining servicemembers and their families and creating a maintenance backlog that could take years to ease.

The Pentagon’s all-in approach comes as Trump has sent mixed signals on what might happen next. Trump has launched an economic pressure campaign in the hopes of forcing Iran to discuss the matter. Tehran has shown no sign of giving in, however, and the US and Iran continue to exchange fire as both nations claim control over the Strait of Hormuz.

According to officials, Trump is privately having discussions with senior staff about efforts to end the war against Iran. Trump also tells staff members that he believes sticking with economic pressure will eventually force the regime either to dismantle its nuclear program or collapse, they said.

Staff are advising Trump that an escalation of the Iran war beyond recent tit-for-tat strikes could endanger Republican prospects in the November midterm elections. The president has said he isn’t taking electoral consequences into account when making decisions on the war.

As Trump waits to see if his strategy will work, the U.S. military is maintaining a presence of 50,000 troops in the region, in part to give the president flexibility on next steps. Current missions include intercepting Iranian missiles, providing cover for commercial ships in the strait and blockading Iranian ports and coastal areas. U.S. forces also stand ready to launch larger offensive attacks should Trump choose to escalate the war.

People who know the matter said that as the dispute drags on, the Pentagon’s deployment schedules are growing longer too. Warship crews, air-defense units and paratroopers are among the forces being ordered to stay longer than expected, the people said.

Army air defenders, who work under pressure to bat down Iran’s missiles and drones, have seen their standard deployment timeline shift from nine months to 12.

A Navy official stated that Navy ships and crews are also being extended as they continue to enforce Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports. The US currently has 19 warships in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers and 13 guided-missile destroyers.

Several of the destroyers, including the USS Delbert D. Black and the USS Spruance, were sent to the Middle East for the opening salvos of the Iran war.

Complicating matters for sailors and Marines aboard those ships is a loss of logistics in the region. The fighting has prevented the Navy from resupplying in the Middle East, forcing it instead to rely largely on the remote island of Diego Garcia, a military base the US shares with the U.K. in the Indian Ocean.

That has led to a sharp decline in mail, care packages and time spent away from the confines of the ships, which allows sailors to clear their heads, according to the people.