Pentagon orders troops from 82nd Airborne Division to deploy to Middle East

The Lebanese flag is waved amid the rubble of a Lebanese Civil Defence post destroyed in an IDF airstrike in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon, on March 24, 2026.

Nearly a month into the war with Iran, the Trump administration is keeping its options open: it says it is pursuing diplomatic solutions with Iran, while ordering thousands of paratroopers to deploy in the Middle East.

(Image credit: Fabio Bucciarelli/Middle East Images)