The U.S. Department of Defense has dispatched the USS Tripoli along with an attached Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) element and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to the Middle East, a U.S. defense official told Fox News on Friday. The Tripoli is based in Japan and is expected to require roughly two weeks to arrive in the region.
The deployment will include approximately 2,500 U.S. Marines traveling with the ARG and MEU. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved a Central Command request for an element of an amphibious ready group and an attached Marine expeditionary unit, three U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the move. Such ARG/MEU packages typically encompass multiple warships and can total about 5,000 Marines and sailors when at full composition.
Two of the officials who spoke with the Wall Street Journal said the Japan-based USS Tripoli and its attached Marines are on course for the Middle East. The officials also noted that U.S. Marines are already operating in the Middle East in support of an Iran-related operation.
Officials framed the deployment as a response to recent Iranian attacks on the Strait of Hormuz. Those attacks have paralyzed traffic through the strategic waterway, the officials said. The disruption to shipping has had consequences beyond regional military dynamics, contributing to broader economic effects and pushing gasoline prices higher. The officials cited those effects as part of the context for the deployment.
The announcement highlights the operational timeline, scale and chain of approval behind the movement: a Japan-stationed amphibious platform will transit toward the Gulf over an estimated fortnight, carrying thousands of Marines as part of a larger ARG/MEU construct that can be scaled depending on mission needs. The Pentagon confirmation and the reporting from Central Command and multiple officials underscore a coordinated decision-making process within the U.S. defense establishment.
No additional details on follow-on movements, rules of engagement or specific mission objectives were provided in the confirmations from defense officials quoted by news outlets.