A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey takes off from the flight deck of Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in the Pacific Ocean, Dec. 5, 2025. (Joseph Helms/U.S. Marine Corps)
The US military is deploying up to 2,500 Marines and at least three more ships to the Middle East, according to a Pentagon official.
The move came as President Donald Trump on Friday posted on Truth Social that “we are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great military efforts in the Middle East.”
The deployment includes elements of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego, and elements of the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, said the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Boxer, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, can also carry F-35B Lightning II attack jets with vertical takeoff and landing capability, along with attack and transport helicopters.
NBC showed the Boxer leaving San Diego Harbor on Thursday. The group also includes the amphibious landing docks USS Portland and USS Comstock, which were already at sea off the coast of California.
The deployment was also reported by The Associated Press, Reuters and NBC News.
The move comes after the Pentagon last week ordered the USS Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to transit from the Pacific Ocean off Japan to the Middle East. The 31st MEU includes about 2,500 Marines.
Earlier this week, the USS Tripoli and another amphibious assault ship, the USS New Orleans, were spotted underway near Malaysia in publicly available satellite images.
The Pentagon has said about 50,000 troops in the region are taking part in aspects of the attack on Iran.
