Trump sends 2,000 paratroopers to Middle East as Tehran dares them to ‘come closer’ (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
The Pentagon has officially issued orders for approximately 2,000 elite troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to deploy within “striking distance” of Iran, according to US officials cited by the Washington Post and the New York Times.
The contingent reportedly includes the division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, the core part of the Immediate Response Force trained to deploy within 18 hours for missions including seizing airfields, reinforcing embassies, and enabling evacuations.
An additional 2,500 Marines are scheduled to arrive later this week to reinforce any potential ground operation, which the media has long speculated could include seizing Iran’s main oil export hub on Kharg Island.
Tehran’s senior military adviser Ali-Akbar Ahmadian has previously dared American soldiers to just “come closer,” warning that Iranian armed forces have “trained in asymmetrical warfare” for decades.
In the meantime, US President Donald Trump is reportedly seeking an “offramp” from the war with Iran with a list of 15 peace proposals – while Tehran has rejected holding any backchannel talks with Washington.
Here are the latest developments:
- President Trump claimed the US has already “won” and ongoing diplomatic talks with Iran are the reason why he postponed military strikes on Iranian power plants for five days.
- Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that Trump’s 15-point proposal demands that Iran dismantle its nuclear and missile programs, abandon its regional proxy network, and open the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted maritime passage. In exchange, Tehran would allegedly receive a full lifting of international sanctions, assistance with its civilian nuclear program, and the removal of the “snapback” sanction mechanism.
- “We negotiate with bombs,” US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said about the Pentagon's role in the alleged behind-the-scenes talks.
- Tehran has denied that talks with the US are taking place, with Iran’s parliamentary speaker saying such claims are “fake news” and are being “used to manipulate financial and oil markets.” Oil prices fell more than 5% on Wednesday morning.
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
25 March 2026
04:05 GMTThe Islamic Resistance in Iraq militias have released footage of FPV drone strikes on helicopters and radar systems at the US-run Victoria base near Baghdad International Airport. The video was captured by another drone that flew over the seemingly abandoned military installation unimpeded. The pro-Iranian faction claimed earlier this week that US forces requested a ceasefire to pull out of the base.
- 03:19 GMT
Iranian officials have told the countries trying to mediate peace negotiations with Washington that they “don’t want to be fooled again” after the US and Israel attacked Iran twice during past talks, Axios has reported, citing a source with direct knowledge of those discussions. Trump’s decision to deploy major troop reinforcements has only increased their suspicion.
- 02:43 GMT
The Pentagon has officially issued orders for approximately 2,000 elite troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to deploy to the Middle East, according to US officials cited by the Washington Post and the New York Times.
The contingent reportedly includes the division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team and its commander, Maj. Gen. Brandon R. Tegtmeier, along with dozens of staff members. Many of the soldiers belong to the Immediate Response Force, a unit trained to deploy within 18 hours for missions including seizing airfields, reinforcing embassies, and enabling evacuations.
Officials said the paratroopers would be positioned within “striking distance” of Iran, but did not clarify the exact location. Potential missions could include seizing Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub in the northern Persian Gulf, where the US conducted a major bombing raid earlier this month. An additional 2,500 Marines are scheduled to arrive later this week to reinforce the potential ground operation.
- 02:22 GMT
The Kuwaiti army announced it is “responding to hostile missile and drone threats,” urging the public to follow safety instructions and noting that any explosions heard are the result of interceptions.
Earlier, a drone strike sparked a fire at a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, while the Kuwaiti National Guard said it had shot down five more drones in its areas of responsibility.
تتصدى حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الكويتية لهجمات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة معادية.تنوه رئاسة الأركان العامة للجيش أن أصوات الانفجارات إن سمعت فهي نتيجة اعتراض منظومات الدفاع الجوي للهجمات المعادية.يرجى من الجميع التقيد بتعليمات الأمن والسلامة الصادرة عن الجهات المختصة.… pic.twitter.com/VO0Wu3SDJa
— KUWAIT ARMY - الجيش الكويتي (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) March 25, 2026 - 02:16 GMT
The US consulate in Erbil, in the Kurdish autonomous region of Iraq, has reportedly been targeted in a drone attack. Al Jazeera reports that the compound’s counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) defense systems were activated to intercept the threats, and one of the drones hit a residential compound nearby.
Videos circulating online appear to show at least one interception and a high-rise on fire in the area.
- 02:02 GMT
The Iraqi government has authorized paramilitary groups, which are part of Iraq’s security apparatus, to respond to attacks, as the death toll from a suspected US strike on a Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) base in Anbar rose to 15. Participants of the emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the repeated strikes as a “blatant violation of Iraqi sovereignty,” according to the official Iraq News Agency (INA).
Since the beginning of the US-Israeli war against Iran, American forces have been striking sites belonging to the PMF, while pro-Iranian armed groups have been targeting US diplomatic and military sites across the country.
Meanwhile, the Iran-aligned Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which operates under the PMF umbrella, claimed 23 operations targeting US sites over the past 24 hours.
- 01:23 GMT
A drone strike targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire at the facility, the country's Civil Aviation Authority has announced. According to spokesperson Abdullah al-Rajhi, the damage was limited to property, with no casualties reported, and firefighting teams are working to contain the blaze.
- 00:51 GMT
Oil prices fell more than 5% amid conflicting claims of behind-the-scenes negotiations between Washington and Tehran, and reports of a list of 15 demands President Trump allegedly conveyed to Iran.
International benchmark Brent crude futures were trading around $95 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures were down at $87.50 per barrel on Wednesday morning.
- 00:30 GMT
At least 290 American military personnel have been wounded in the ongoing war against Iran as of Tuesday, according to US Central Command’s spokesperson Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins. The spokesperson told the media that 255 of those injured have already returned to duty, while ten remain seriously wounded.
US officials previously said that only 13 American troops had been killed so far, dismissing Tehran’s claims of heavy casualties among American personnel.
