The Pentagon is preparing to deploy thousands of soldiers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, adding to a significant military buildup in the region even as the Trump administration signals it is open to talks with Iran.
The Wall Street Journal, citing similar sources, put the number of additional troops at 3,000, with a written deployment order expected within hours. It remains unclear where in the region the soldiers will be sent or when they will arrive.
The fresh deployment follows reports from March 13 of 5,000 US marines and sailors, along with an amphibious assault ship, being dispatched to the region. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he does not want US boots on the ground in Iran, but has stopped short of ruling it out entirely.
Trump claims Iran has ‘agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon’
President Trump on Tuesday, March 24, claimed Iran had agreed it would never develop a nuclear weapon, saying Tehran was “talking to us and they’re talking sense.”
Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “It all starts with they cannot have a nuclear weapon. I don’t want to say in advance, but they’ve agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon. They’ve agreed to that.”
QatarEnergy declares force majeure on some LNG contracts
QatarEnergy has declared force majeure on a number of its long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contracts, affecting customers in Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China, amid production and supply disruptions caused by the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.
Force majeure is a contractual clause that allows a party to suspend its obligations due to unforeseeable circumstances. Petroleum companies in Kuwait and Bahrain have also recently invoked similar clauses. Global energy markets have been under severe strain since the US and Israel began striking Iran on February 28.
Last week, QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi said an Iranian attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas facility had wiped out roughly 17 per cent of the country’s LNG export capacity, causing an estimated USD 20 billion in lost annual revenue and threatening supplies to Europe and Asia.
Emirati soldier killed in Iranian attack on Bahrain
Bahrain’s Defence Ministry said Tuesday that an Emirati soldier was killed while responding to Iranian attacks alongside Bahraini forces. A number of Bahraini and Emirati personnel were also wounded. The ministry did not elaborate on the circumstances of the death.
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted drone in eastern region
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said it intercepted and destroyed a drone in the country’s eastern region on Tuesday. The ministry’s official spokesperson did not provide further details on the origin or intended target of the drone.
MBS pushes Trump to press on with Iran war: NYT
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been urging President Trump to continue the military campaign against Iran, arguing it presents a “historic opportunity” to reshape the Middle East, the New York Times reported Tuesday, citing people briefed by American officials.
In a series of conversations over the past week, the Crown Prince conveyed to Trump that the US-Israeli campaign should press toward dismantling Iran’s hardline government, which he argued poses a long-term threat to the Gulf that can only be eliminated through regime change.
Iranian missile explodes over Lebanon
A ballistic missile fired from Iran exploded over the Keserwan region north of Beirut on Tuesday, a senior Lebanese military official said, causing some material damage. The official said the cluster munition-equipped missile was heading west when it detonated, though its intended target was unclear.
It marked the first time an Iranian missile was intercepted over Lebanese airspace during the current conflict. The Israeli military said the missile fell in Beirut following an assessment of Iranian launches directed at Israel on Tuesday.
Shrapnel kills woman in northern Israel
A woman was killed by shrapnel in northern Israel on Tuesday in what Israeli paramedics said was the war’s first Israeli death caused by fire from Lebanon. She was found with critical wounds by the side of a road south of Safed and was declared dead shortly after. Two others were lightly injured.
Sirens rang out across northern Israel for hours, warning of drones and rockets fired from Lebanon by Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has been carrying out attacks against Israel in support of Iran since the early days of the war.
Israeli strikes kill over 1,070 in Lebanon since March 2
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,072 people and wounded 2,966 others since Israel renewed its offensive on March 2.
IRGC claims strikes on Israeli military satellite systems
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted satellite reception stations serving the Israeli military as part of its latest wave of attacks, carried out using long and medium-range missiles and drones. Iran’s ISNA news agency said the strikes formed the 79th wave of the IRGC’s ongoing operation.
Pakistan offers to host US-Iran talks
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said Islamabad was “ready and honoured” to host talks between the US and Iran to end the conflict, following media reports of backdoor diplomatic efforts involving Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye.
“Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict,” Sharif said in a post on X. Hours later, President Trump shared the post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump approval rating hits new low
President Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 36 per cent, its lowest since he returned to office, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday, March 23. The figure is down from 40 per cent the previous week, with the decline attributed to rising fuel prices and growing public disapproval of the war with Iran.Support for US strikes on Iran has also slipped, with 35 per cent approving and 61 per cent disapproving. Just 25 per cent approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, as petrol prices have climbed since the US launched strikes on Iran and disruptions along the Strait of Hormuz began. The online poll surveyed 1,272 US adults and carried a margin of error of three percentage points.
