The US is transferring troops from Japan to the Middle East. Land operation in the background

Friday's Wall Street Journal reported the Pentagon's decision. The Pentagon has approved a request to send an element of the landing group, including a Marine expeditionary unit, to the Middle East. The forces are to number 5,000. marines and several ships.

As reported by the American daily, citing Pentagon officials, the request of the US Central Command to send ships and marines was accepted by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The landing ship USS Tripoli, which has been stationed in Japan so far, together with marines is about to be on its way to the Middle East.

“WSJ” writes that the group in question usually consists of several warships and 5,000. marines. Some Marines have been supporting operations against Iran from the beginning.

War in the Middle East. Donald Trump scolds a journalist

The decision comes as Iran's attacks on the Strait of Hormuz have paralyzed traffic in the strategic waterway, disrupting the global economy, driving up gasoline prices and posing a serious military and political challenge to President Donald Trump. The deployment of additional U.S. forces suggests the possibility of a potential land operation.

The American president has not ruled out such an operation so far, but argued that he is not thinking about it for now. When asked in an interview with Fox News Radio about the possibility of seizing the Iranian island of Khark in the Strait of Hormuz – which he called for in 1988 – Trump scolded the journalist for asking him a “stupid question.”

— Who would ask such a question and what fool would answer it? Okay, let's assume I'm going to do this, or let's assume I'm not going to do it. What would I tell you? Oh, yes, Brian, I think about it (…). I will let you know what time and when it will happen, the president said.