Trump eyes 10,000 more troops as Israeli army is nearing collapse

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March 27, 2026 at 1:00 pm.  Middle East Monitor

The Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 additional US ground troops to the Middle East, according to Defence Department officials cited by the Wall Street Journal, in a move that would hand President Donald Trump broader military options even as he publicly talks up the prospect of negotiations with Tehran.

The proposed deployment would likely include infantry and armoured units, adding to the roughly 7,000 extra US personnel already moving into the region, including about 5,000 Marines and sailors and around 2,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division. 

The additional troops are expected to be stationed close enough to Iran to widen Washington’s military options, including in the Strait of Hormuz and around Kharg Island, the strategic hub for most of Iran’s oil exports.

The fresh troop option comes as Trump said he would extend by 10 days, until 6 April, a pause on strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure. He claimed the extension came at Iran’s request and presented it as an opening for diplomacy, although mediators quoted by the WSJ said Tehran had not formally asked for such a pause. 

Reuters also reported that Iran has denied Trump’s account of direct negotiations, even as indirect contacts appear to be under way.

READ: Pentagon getting ready for huge ‘final blow’ in Iran war: Report

The WSJ’s live coverage also reported that the Senate Armed Services Committee does not expect to hold its first public hearing on the Trump administration’s war with Iran until after senators return from recess in mid-April. 

The military build-up is unfolding as Washington weighs increasingly risky options around Kharg Island, the terminal through which about 90 per cent of Iran’s crude exports pass. 

Analysts have warned that while a seizure of the island could intensify pressure on Tehran, it would also leave US troops exposed to missile, drone and naval attacks, raising the prospect of a deeper and more dangerous regional war.

The latest developments point to what many observers have called a dual-track US approach: publicly keeping diplomacy alive while quietly preparing for a major expansion of the ground war. 

Separately, Israeli media reported that army chief Eyal Zamir warned ministers the military could “collapse in on itself” because of mounting operational pressure and worsening manpower shortages. The remarks point to growing stress within Israel’s armed forces as the US weighs a further troop surge.

READ: Bennett: Israel not winning on any front, warns army under strain