They join thousands of Marines and Army paratroopers who have also arrived in the region – expanding US President Donald Trump’s military options in the war with Iran, it said. The soldiers could therefore be used in operations aimed at opening the Strait of Hormuz, capturing the island of Kharg, which is central to Iranian oil exports, or recovering Iran’s highly enriched uranium.
There have been reports for days about a possible ground offensive by the US military in Iran. Trump is publicly urging Tehran to find a diplomatic solution to the war started by the USA and Israel – but at the same time he is not sparing with threats of further military escalation.
According to the White House, Donald Trump is considering asking Arab countries to cover the costs of the war against Iran. “I think it’s something the president would certainly be interested in asking them to do,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked whether Arab countries would contribute to the costs of the war. “It’s an idea I know he has and something I think you’ll be hearing more from him about.”
Two soldiers from the international UN peacekeeping force (Unifil) died in an explosion in Lebanon. Two other peacekeepers were injured, one seriously, the mission announced. The explosion that destroyed their vehicle occurred near Bani Haian in southern Lebanon.
The mission is currently caught between the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and the Israeli military. However, the mission did not say whether the latest explosion was related to the clash between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to Unifil, the incident is the second in 24 hours in which soldiers of the force die. Just on Sunday, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed in an explosion.
According to the White House, US President Donald Trump is considering passing on the costs of the war against Iran to Arab countries. “I think it’s something the president would certainly be interested in asking them to do,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked whether Arab countries would contribute to the costs of the war. “It’s an idea I know he has and something I think you’ll be hearing more from him about.”
