The United States is redeploying military assets from South Korea and Japan to the Middle East as the war between the US-Israel alliance and Iran enters its third week of intense exchanges.
President Donald Trump has authorized the transfer of THAAD missile defense systems and Patriot interceptors from US Forces Korea to the Middle East, according to the Washington Post. The Wall Street Journal reported that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and its Marine expeditionary unit stationed in Japan are also being dispatched to the region.
The New York Times reported that up to three warships carrying approximately 2,500 Marines are moving from the Indo-Pacific region to join the 50,000 US troops already deployed in the Middle East. According to USNI News, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Okinawa, Japan is among those being transferred. AP analysis suggests the journey from the Pacific to Iran would take more than a week.
The redeployment comes as Wall Street grows increasingly concerned about the war's duration. Trump's initial strategy of sparking a popular uprising to overthrow the Iranian regime has shown no signs of materializing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the uncertainty at his first press conference since the war began. "I cannot say with certainty whether the Iranian people will bring down the regime," he said on the 12th.
Oil prices have emerged as a critical factor. Politico reported that White House officials were shocked when crude reached $120 per barrel on the 8th. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Sky News that US losses from Strait of Hormuz shipping disruptions have reached $11 billion, adding that convoy escorts "could begin soon."
The US military has fired more than 1,000 Patriot interceptors and struck over 15,000 targets in Iran since the war began. Israel has conducted airstrikes on approximately 7,000 targets.
On International Quds Day on the 13th, Israel bombed areas near Tehran's Ferdowsi Square while thousands of Iranians held anti-US and anti-Israel rallies. One woman was killed in the strike. The Israeli military had issued warnings via X, but most Iranian citizens were unaware due to government internet restrictions.
The White House is considering a 30-day suspension of the Jones Act, a 1920 law requiring ships operating between US ports to be at least 75% American-owned and crewed, to ensure essential energy products can reach American ports.
Trump told Fox News Radio on the 13th that the US would "strike Iran very hard once again over the next week."
