USS Tripoli heads for Middle East as US deploys 2,500 Marines
The amphibious assault ship was seen in the Singapore Strait as Washington moved about 2,500 additional Marines west and strengthened its options around the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
The USS Tripoli transited the Singapore Strait on Tuesday (March 17) as Washington rushed fresh amphibious forces towards the Middle East, with US officials saying roughly 2,500 additional Marines are being sent to the region in the third week of the US-Israeli war with Iran. Reuters footage showed the America-class assault ship off Singapore, while AP and Reuters reported that elements of the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit were deploying with the vessel.
Tripoli seen moving west from Asia
Tripoli is homeported in Japan and normally operates with the 31st MEU, a rapid-response formation that USNI says includes about 2,200 Marines, excluding sailors aboard the ships. The Marine Corps said the unit achieved full certification last month during Iron Fist 26 with Japanese forces. USNI added that it remained unclear whether the other ships in the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group — USS San Diego and USS New Orleans — were also heading west.
Deployment adds amphibious force
The ship can carry F-35B stealth fighters, and Reuters images from Singapore showed F-35Bs and MV-22 Ospreys on deck. AP noted that Marine expeditionary units are trained not only for amphibious landings but also for embassy reinforcement, civilian evacuations and disaster relief, giving the Pentagon a flexible force as the conflict widens.
Hormuz crisis drives the move
The deployment comes as the US looks for ways to stabilise shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian attacks slashed traffic through the waterway. USNI reported on March 10 that cargo vessel transits had fallen to single digits on many days, tanker traffic had dropped sharply, and President Donald Trump had said the US Navy could escort tankers if needed. About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows pass through the strait.
Reinforcements arrive as Ford heads for repairs
The wider campaign, launched on Feb. 28 and branded by Washington as Operation Epic Fury, is already drawing in more naval assets. Reuters reported on Tuesday that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is expected to pull into Souda Bay, Crete, after a fire on board, while USNI said Tripoli and its embarked Marines were heading to join forces already operating in the region, including the Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike groups. Officials have not publicly detailed the precise mission Tripoli and its Marines will perform once they arrive.
