Tag: middle east

Pentagon Weighs Sending Another 10,000 Ground Troops To Middle East, Suggests Seizing Iran-Controlled Islands

Just hours after President Trump said he was pausing strikes on Iran’s energy sector for 10 more days, to April 6, so peace negotiations can take place, the WSJ reported that the Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East to give the US President more military options even as he weighs peace talks with Tehran, according to unnamed Department of War officials. 

The force, which would likely include infantry and armored vehicles, would be added to the roughly 5,000 Marines and the thousands of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division who have already been ordered to the region.  The will join well over 50,000 servicemembers already deployed to air and army bases, as well as on naval ships, across the Middle East in the lead up and since the start of Operation Epic Fury.

It is unclear where precisely forces will go in the Middle East, but they will likely be within striking distance of Iran and Kharg Island, a crucial oil export hub off Iran’s coast.

Trump has repeatedly said he will open the Strait of Hormuz, with or without the help of U.S. allies, and it is increasingly looking like 

“All announcements regarding troop deployments will come from the Department of War. As we have said, President Trump always has all military options at his disposal,” said Anna Kelly, the deputy White House press secretary. A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East, declined to comment.

Pentagon suggests seizing Iran-controlled islands in Persian Gulf

The Pentagon has suggested seizing the Iran-controlled Islands of Larak or Abu Musa, located in the eastern Persian Gulf near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, roughly 40 miles from both Iran and the United Arab Emirates, sources tell Axios. In interviews with Axios, officials and sources familiar with the internal discussions describe four major “final blow” options Trump could choose from:

  • Invading or blockading Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.
  • Invading Larak, an island that helps Iran solidify its control of the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic outpost hosts Iranian bunkers, attack craft that can blow up cargo ships and radars that monitor movements in the strait.
  • Seizing the strategic island of Abu Musa and two smaller islands, which lie near the western entrance to the strait and are controlled by Iran but also claimed by the UAE.
  • Blocking or seizing ships that are exporting Iranian oil on the eastern side of the Hormuz Strait.

The U.S. military has also prepared plans for ground operations deep inside the interior of Iran to secure the highly enriched uranium buried within nuclear facilities. Instead of conducting such a complicated and risky operation, the U.S. could instead carry out large-scale air strikes on the facilities to try to prevent Iran from ever accessing the material.

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Central European State Forced to Ration Fuel and Deploy Army for Transport and Logistics as Middle East War Rages On

The small, Central European state of Slovenia, the birthplace of Melania Trump, has moved to ration fuel and deploy military logistics support as a sudden surge in demand—fueled by cross-border traffic and global instability—has exposed the fragility of Europe’s energy system. The government’s emergency response reflects a growing crisis that is no longer confined to distant battlefields but is now reshaping daily life throughout the world.

The immediate trigger has been a sharp spike in fuel demand, driven in part by motorists crossing into Slovenia from neighboring countries in search of cheaper petrol and diesel. Authorities say this so-called “fuel tourism” has drained supplies at key stations, particularly near borders and along major transit routes, The Slovenia Times reports.

Under new rules, individuals are now limited to purchasing 50 liters of fuel per day, while businesses, including transport operators and farmers, can buy up to 200 liters. The restrictions apply nationwide and will remain in force indefinitely as officials struggle to stabilize supply chains.

At the same time, the government has taken the extraordinary step of mobilizing the armed forces to support fuel distribution. Military personnel are assisting with transport and logistics, highlighting the severity of the disruption and the state’s growing role in managing essential resources.

Officials insist the measures are temporary, but the scale of intervention suggests deeper structural weaknesses. The crisis has been exacerbated by volatile global energy markets following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, which has sent oil prices soaring and strained supply networks across Europe.

In response, Slovenia has begun releasing up to 30 million liters of diesel from its strategic reserves. These reserves, totaling around 700 million liters, are intended to cover just over three months of national consumption, underscoring how quickly such buffers can be drawn down in times of crisis.

The government has also banned the export of this emergency fuel, ensuring it remains within national borders. Only selected domestic users—primarily those contributing to strategic reserves—are eligible to access these supplies.

Despite these interventions, shortages have persisted at several service stations, with some reporting demand levels multiple times higher than normal. Retailers have struggled to keep up, particularly as panic buying and stockpiling have intensified among businesses and individuals alike.

The lifting of fuel price caps on motorway service stations has further complicated the situation. Prices have surged, with some locations seeing dramatic increases, widening disparities between Slovenia and its neighbors and inadvertently fueling even more cross-border demand.

While price controls remain in place off the motorway network, these are expected to rise in the coming weeks. Government attempts to cushion the blow through tax reductions have done little to offset the broader impact of global price shocks.

Slovenia’s largest fuel distributor has warned that current measures may only offer short-term relief. Industry representatives argue that deeper structural changes are needed, particularly as the country remains heavily dependent on imported petroleum products.

The crisis has also reignited debate over European Union rules, which limit the ability of member states to restrict fuel purchases by foreign nationals. While Slovenia has considered such measures, officials have acknowledged they may violate EU law.

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US Fast-Tracks Billions In ‘Emergency’ Arms Sales To Gulf, Bypassing Congress

On the one hand President Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth have declared that America is ‘winning’ against Iran, having destroyed its navy and air defenses, and having seriously degraded its missiles – but on the other the admin has put in for a more than $200 billion supplemental request to Congress to fund the war.

It seems Congress will likely eventually sign off on this gargantuan figure – for an ‘excursion’ which should end ‘soon’ we are told by Trump – given that even the effort to pass so much as a War Powers resolution gets repeatedly stymied. 

Still, the US administration is busy bypassing standard congressional review requirements, on Thursday approving a series of emergency arms sales across the Middle East, at a moment US regional allies are being pummeled by Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.

The argument is that Washington’s allies are in imminent danger, and given that indeed vital Gulf infrastructure is getting hit quite seriously – new arms have to be rushed over there on an emergency basis.

According to details in Saudi-owned Al Arabiya:

The largest package was approved for the United Arab Emirates, totaling more than $8 billion. It includes the $4.5 billion sale of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), $2.10 billion for FS-LIDS counter-drone systems, $1.22 billion in Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), and $644 million in F-16 munitions, including GBU-39 small diameter bombs and Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs).

In parallel, Washington approved an $8 billion deal for Kuwait to buy Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor Radars, significantly enhancing the country’s missile detection and tracking capabilities.

Jordan was also included in the emergency approvals, with a $70.5 million package covering aircraft support and munitions to sustain operational readiness.

Notably, a US base all the way over in Jordan, the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, was struck by Iran in the opening days of the war, satellite imagery showed.

This development of all these newly approved ’emergency’ arms and weapons shipments begs the question: is this more evidence that Washington is settling in for a ‘long war’?

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Oil & Religion

QUESTION: Marty, looking at Socrates, it does not show that this release of 400 million barrels of oil will do much. Am I reading this correctly?

ANSWER: The International Energy Agency released 400 million barrels of oil into the global market, the largest release of emergency oil stocks in history. This is just for show. However, it actually makes things far more vulnerable. This is all predicated on a quick victory with the conquest of Iran. If that assumption is wrong, this will not help.

1. MATHEMATICALLY INSUFFICIENT (won’t even cover 2-3 months of lost supply)
2. STRATEGICALLY STUPID (leaves U.S. vulnerable to future crises)
3. POLITICALLY DESPERATE (election-year panic move)
4. ECONOMICALLY FUTILE (treats symptom, not disease)

Let’s get real. Global oil consumption is about 100 million barrels/day (mb/d). U.S. consumption is about 20 million barrels/day. The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz supply affects about 21 million barrels/day (21% of global supply).  Releasing 400 million barrels at the global consumption rate would last 19 days (400M ÷ 21M/day). There is no way this will calm markets in the long term.

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2,500 Deployed Marines Heading to the Middle East

The U.S. Marine Corps is sending more than 2,000 men currently stationed in Japan to the Middle East as the joint U.S.-Israeli Operation Epic Fury continues to intensify.

The Wall Street Journal and ABC News reported the deployment shift first and Fox News subsequently confirmed it after speaking with a federal official. Fox’s Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin posted on X, “US defense official confirms to Fox News that the Pentagon is sending the USS Tripoli, a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to Mideast. The Tripoli is stationed out of Japan and would take about 2 weeks to get to the Mideast. Accompanying the ARG and the MEU are approx. 2500 US Marines.”

Before everyone loses their minds about boots on the ground, it appears that the deployment is primarily connected to air and naval capabilities, as Operation Epic Fury has been using ever since the beginning, as ABC News reported:

The 31st MEU is permanently deployed to Japan and operates in the INDO-PACOM region, but it is now being ordered to head to the Middle East.

Its deployment does not mean that the unit is going to be used as a ground force for use in Iran, but it offers land, amphibious and aviation assets that can be available to military commanders if needed.

This particular MEU also includes a squadron of F-35 fighter jets and a squadron of MV-22 tilt rotor Osprey aircraft.

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Husband behind $14M COVID loan scam bought mansion for another wife he had in the Middle East

An Illinois tax preparer who helped run a “staggering” $14 million COVID scam used the money to build a mansion for a wife and kids he had in the Palestinian territories — infuriating his other wife in Illinois.

Sharhabeel Shreiteh, 46, received around $740,000 in kickbacks as he helped more than 1,000 people get phony Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in what he admitted to one sidekick was likely the “most stupid fraud in history.”

Shreiteh used his own ill-gotten gains to build a home and a luxury Mercedes car for his wife and their three kids in Palestine — sending his American-based wife of nearly 18 years into a jealous rage, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“You suck!” Hania Atiq Shreiteh, his 52-year-old wife in America, texted him in July 2021 about the money he was sending to his family in his native Palestine.

“I bust my a– for 13 years and don’t have like she gets without working for it!!!” she wrote, according to messages in court filings.

“You gave her kids, a villa, now fancy cars??!! … I’m so sick and tired of being lied to by you.”

Shreiteh and Hania were married in 2008 and have a daughter in suburban Chicago. It was not clear when he married the other woman in Palestine, with whom he has three children and talked to every day, nor if they are still married.

However, Hania’s anger appeared to have subsided by the time the taxpayer pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday.

“Having a second family aligns with his religious beliefs and was approved by his wife,” a court memo seeking a lighter sentence claimed. “He hopes that once the situation in the Middle East stabilizes, his other family can visit him here.”

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US Arranging Charter, Military Flights for Americans in the Middle East

The U.S. State Department is looking to help Americans in the Middle East find a way home.

The State Department said on March 3 it is working to charter aircraft to fly Americans home following the start of the U.S.–Israel military strikes on Iran.

“The State Department is actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East,” said Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs.

The Middle East war has caused major disruption in commercial air travel in the region.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the State Department “is actively working on plans to help Americans in the Middle East return home.”

She said U.S. citizens in the region should register at step.state.gov.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a March 3 presser that to date, 9,000 Americans have been able to leave the Middle East since the start of the war with Iran.

According to the diplomat, more U.S. citizens are still attempting to leave the area, and in addition to military and charter flights, the government is working to secure expanded commercial flight options to facilitate the repatriation.

“Here’s the message I want to deliver [to] Americans who are in the Middle East and in need of assistance,” Rubio said. “We need to know where you are. We need to have contact information for Americans that need assistance. They have to register with us, because as these options begin to open up, and as they open up, we have to be able to call you.”

Johnson said the department has been in touch with almost 3,000 Americans seeking information on how to leave the area.

Nearly 500 of those inquiries came from Americans in Israel alone. Thus far, the Department of State has helped about 130 of those citizens leave the country, and 100 more are expected to leave on March 3.

Additional resources and departure options for Americans abroad can be found by calling 1-202-501-4444.

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US Embassies Say They Can’t Help Evacuate Americans From the Middle East Despite Advisory to Leave

Multiple US embassies in the Middle East have told Americans they cannot facilitate evacuations, despite a State Department advisory for US citizens to leave more than a dozen countries in the region, Business Insider reported on Tuesday.

“The US Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel,” the US Embassy in Jerusalem said in a post on X.

Israel’s airspace has been closed since the US and Israel launched the war against Iran on Saturday, provoking Iranian missile and drone attacks across the region. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Americans who wanted to leave Israel could take shuttles set up by the Israeli government that are taking people to Taba, Egypt, but his embassy said that it couldn’t guarantee the safety of Americans who choose to take the shuttles.

“The US Embassy cannot make any recommendation (for or against) the [Israeli] Ministry of Tourism’s shuttle,” the embassy said. “If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the US government cannot guarantee your safety. The information is provided as a courtesy to those wishing to leave Israel.”

The US Embassy in Doha said that Americans who wish to leave Qatar should “take advantage of commercial transportation options” and that those who choose to stay “should prepare contingency plans should the situation deteriorate,” but added that “these alternative plans should not rely on the US government for assisted departure or evacuation.”

The State Department said on Tuesday that it would charter planes from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan and try to facilitate additional ground options for Americans in Israel.

President Trump was asked why there wasn’t an evacuation plan already in place, and he said it was because “it all happened very quickly,” though he oversaw a major US military deployment to the region and had been threatening to bomb Iran for nearly two months.

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Huckabee Defends Pollard Meeting, Says God Promised Israel the Entire Middle East

During a nearly two-and-a-half-hour interview with Tucker Carlson, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee defended meeting with American traitor Jonathan Pollard, who spied for Israel while a Navy intelligence officer and landed in prison for 30 years.

The New York Times revealed the meeting in November and called it “secret,” which Huckabee denied to Carlson, claiming that he meets with people all the time.

Huckabee also defended the historical and theological claim that present day Israel is the Israel of the Bible, as have GOP U.S. Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Huckabee said the Bible would justify Israel’s seizing territory in the Middle East from the Euphrates River in Iraq to the Nile in Egypt.

The genesis of the Pollard discussion was the revelation in the Times.

The meeting was secret, the Times reported, and for good reason. No other American envoy thought meeting with Pollard was a good idea.

“The highly unusual meeting caught some U.S. officials by surprise, and appeared to be a sharp break with years of precedent for American diplomats,” the newspaper disclosed:

The New York Times learned of the meeting from three U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information. When The Times asked Mr. Pollard about the meeting, he confirmed it.

The meeting was not on Huckabee’s schedule, which “alarmed” the CIA station chief.

And the top U.S. spy in Israel isn’t the only American official that Huckabee kept in the dark, the Times continued:

The White House was not aware of the meeting in advance, according to a White House official and two people briefed on the matter. The White House official also said that senior officials there were alarmed when they learned it had taken place.

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Amb. Huckabee Claims Israel Has ‘Biblical Right’ To Conquer Whole Middle East

In a jaw-dropping exchange with Tucker Carlson, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee openly framed Israel’s territorial claims in biblical terms – suggesting the Jewish state has a divine mandate over virtually the entire region.

Asked whether a passage from the Book of Genesis could be read as granting Israel the right to claim all the land between Egypt’s Nile River and Syria’s Euphrates, Huckabee didn’t hedge. He bluntly and without apology said it would be “fine” if Israel and its military took over the whole Middle East.

“It would be fine if they took it all,” Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist Minister and previously the governor of Arkansas made clear. This led to a wide ranging conversation and back and forth over whether the modern nation-state of Israel, officially founded as a sovereign government on May 14, 1948, is synonymous with the Israel written about in the Old Testament, stretching back thousands of years.

Here’s how that contentious segment of the interview unfolded, according to a transcript and commentary: 

Huckabee was asked in an interview with US conservative commentator Tucker Carlson about his understanding of a biblical verse suggesting that land including parts of Egypt, Syria and Iraq had been divinely promised to the Jewish people.

Carlson said that according to the Old Testament, the boundaries would be “basically the entire Middle East.”

He continued: “Does Israel have the right to that land?”

“Not sure we’d go that far,” Huckabee said in reply. “It would be a big piece of land.”

Carlson then pressed him: “Does Israel have the right to that land?”

“It would be fine if they took it all,” Huckabee responded, before adding, “I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here today.”

Carlson asked: “You think it would be fine if the state of Israel took over all of Jordan?”

That’s when Amb. Huckabee must have realized he was entering some hot diplomatic water, which would be sure to outrage Washington’s Arab allies in the region.

“They’re not trying to take over Jordan. They’re not trying to take over Syria. They’re not trying to take over Iraq or anywhere else, but they do want to protect their people,” Huckabee responded. We should note here that the Israeli army has indeed invaded southern Syria and is occupying swathes of territory which lie a mere dozen or so miles from Damascus.

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