US Marines have arrived in the Middle East on a giant ship. The USS Tripoli looks like an aircraft carrier, but its purpose is different

Ashley Davis29/03/2026

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The first contingent of US Marines arrived in the Middle East on Saturday as Donald Trump tries to increase pressure on Tehran to negotiate an end to the war.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday X that the USS Tripoli arrived in the region on Friday, the main element of a naval group with 3,500 sailors and marines, transport and fighter aircraft and “tactical and amphibious assault assets”.

Marines aboard the USS Tripoli. Photo: X / CENTCOM

This US military move comes after US media sources said the Pentagon is preparing a ground operation in Iran that could last several weeks.

These military plans have been in the works for some time, however it is not yet clear whether Trump will approve any of them, according to Washington Post.

Discussions within the administration over the past month have addressed the possible capture of Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, as well as raids on other coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz to find and destroy weapons that can target civilian and military shipping, WP sources said.

It looks like an aircraft carrier, but it's an assault ship

The USS Tripoli (LHA-7) is not only an impressive ship, but one of almost unreal size, writes DefenseFeeds.com.

With a length of 257 meters and a displacement of almost 45,000 tons, it is not just a ship, but essentially a floating air base designed to launch Navy aircraft into combat zones thousands of kilometers away from the US.

Aircraft on the deck of the USS Tripoli. Photo: X / CENTCOM

But here's the surprise: USS Tripoli is not technically an aircraft carrier, the publication points out.

“Instead, the US Navy classifies her as an amphibious assault ship, part of the powerful America-class amphibious assault ship program. This classification suggests something fascinating about modern naval warfare.

Ships like the Tripoli blur the lines between aircraft carriers, troop carriers and expeditionary bases. One day they launch stealth planes. The next day, it transports Marines and helicopters into a disaster zone,” notes Defense Feeds.

What air force does it have on board?

Entering service in 2020, USS Tripoli was built with one primary idea in mind: air dominance for Marine Corps operations. Its enormous flight deck supports state-of-the-art aircraft such as the F-35B Lightning II, the Marine Corps' short-takeoff stealth fighter.

Unlike previous amphibious assault ships, the first two ships of the class, including Tripoli, were built without a flood dock, the flooded compartment used for launching landing craft.

Instead, designers expanded aviation facilities to support more aircraft and maintenance operations.

According to available information, the air force on board the USS Tripoli includes about 20 F-35B Ligtning of the “Green Knights” squadron, MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft of the “Dragons” squadron and Seahawk helicopters of the “Island Knights” squadron.