Trump says Iran war "close to over" amid hopes for more negotiations
Investing.com-- The Pentagon is sending roughly 10,000 additional troops and major naval assets to the Middle East as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Iran while trying to preserve a fragile ceasefire and revive negotiations, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The deployment includes about 6,000 troops aboard the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group and roughly 4,200 personnel with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The added forces are expected to bolster an existing U.S. military presence of about 50,000 personnel in the region.
The buildup comes as Washington seeks to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and return to talks over its nuclear program. The current two-week ceasefire is due to expire on April 22, making the coming days critical for diplomacy and military planning.
President Donald Trump said he believes the conflict may be nearing an end. In a taped interview with Fox Business, Trump said he sees the war as “very close” to being over and suggested Iran is eager to reach an agreement.
He also said that if the United States ended its pressure campaign now, Iran would take decades to rebuild, signaling that Washington intends to maintain leverage until it secures broader concessions.
According to the WaPo report, the additional military assets would give U.S. commanders more options if negotiations collapse or if the ceasefire fails. The expanded naval presence is expected to bring the number of U.S. aircraft carriers in or near the region to three, significantly increasing strike capacity and maritime enforcement capabilities.
Washington has also begun enforcing a blockade targeting maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports. More than a dozen U.S. warships are positioned in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, monitoring vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
WaPo reported that in the first 24 hours of the operation, six merchant ships were intercepted and turned back to Iranian ports without incident. U.S. officials cited in the report said the mission is aimed at tightening economic pressure on Tehran and limiting its ability to export oil.
At the same time, U.S. officials are reportedly reviewing contingency plans for possible ground operations if diplomacy fails. Those options include missions to secure nuclear material, protect shipping routes, or target Iranian export infrastructure. Such operations would carry significant risks, including a broader regional escalation.
