What to know about the 82nd Airborne – as US preps to send troops to Middle East

March 26, 2026 | 5:05pm

Iran completely rejected President Trump’s 15-point peace plan on Wednesday — and put forth its own maximalist demands to end the war– including that the Islamic republic would rule over the Strait of Hormuz and collect fees from passing ships – as well as keep its missile program with no negotiations to limit it. To that end, the US appears to be gearing up for a major combat operation, with the The Department of War preparing to deploy thousands of troops to the Middle East, according to a source familiar with the plan. According to an unnamed government official who spoke with NPR, somewhere between 2 and 3 thousand of the unit’s paratroopers have already received written orders to deploy.