As the US-Israel vs Iran war grinds into its third week, President Donald Trump is weighing a major escalation, considering sending thousands of additional American troops to the Middle East while the Pentagon seeks more than $200 billion in fresh war funding. Officials say the deployments would expand Washington’s military options, from securing the Strait of Hormuz with air and naval power to potential Marine-led operations against key Iranian islands and missile sites, even as US forces have already launched over 7,800 strikes and destroyed more than 120 Iranian vessels since February 28. With Iran hitting Israeli and Gulf energy infrastructure, roiling global oil and gas markets, and the White House insisting Tehran’s nuclear program has been “severely damaged,” critics warn the conflict is veering toward a deeper, costlier regional war with no clear exit.
