US orders 2,500 marines and assault ship to Middle East

The American military has ordered 2,500 marines and an amphibious assault ship to the Middle East, a US official said in a major addition of forces in the region after nearly two weeks of war with Iran.

Meanwhile in the Iranian capital, a large explosion rocked a central square where thousands were gathered for an annual state-organised rally to support the Palestinians and call for Israel’s demise.

Israel had warned that it would target the area in central Tehran.

There were no reports of casualties. But the decision to proceed with the mass demonstration that was attended by some senior government officials, and Israel’s threat to target the area, underscored the fierce determination on both sides nearly two weeks into a war that has rattled the global economy and shows no sign of letting up.

Iran has continued to launch widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighbouring Gulf states, and has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes, even as US and Israeli warplanes pummel military and other targets across Iran.

The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon deepened, with nearly 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and warned there would be no let up.

In an interview with Fox News, US president Donald Trump said the war would end “when I feel it in my bones”.

He was also more measured than in the past about the prospect of opponents toppling the Islamic government.

“So I really think that’s a big hurdle to climb for people that don’t have weapons,” Mr Trump said, citing the paramilitary Basij force, which has played a central role in crushing recent nationwide protests.

Elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the Middle East, according to the US official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Marine Expeditionary Units are trained and equipped to conduct amphibious landings, but they also specialise in bolstering security at embassies, evacuating civilians and disaster relief.

The deployment does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will take place at all.

The deployment of the additional marines was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well the Tripoli and other amphibious assault ships carrying the marines, are based in Japan and have been at sea in the Pacific Ocean for several days, according to images released by the military.

The Tripoli was spotted by commercial satellites sailing alone near Taiwan. That location puts it more than a week away from the waters off Iran.

Earlier in the week, the Navy had 12 ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and eight destroyers, operating in the Arabian Sea. Should the Tripoli join this flotilla, it would be the second-largest ship behind the Lincoln to operate in the waters off Iran.

While the total number of US service members on the ground in the Middle East is not clear, Al-Udeid Air Base alone, one of the largest in the region, typically houses some 8,000 US troops.

The explosion in Tehran rocked the Ferdowsi Square area midday, where thousands had gathered for an annual Quds Day rally in which they chanted “death to Israel” and “death to America”.

Israel had issued a warning on a Farsi-language X account for people to clear the area shortly before the blast. But few Iranians would have seen it, as authorities have almost completely shut down the internet since the start of the war.

Footage from the scene showed people chanting “God is greatest,” as smoke rose in the area.

The Israeli military later posted a second message in Farsi, noting the head of Iran’s judiciary was at the rally and criticising Iran for blocking many from seeing their warning.

The hard-liner who leads Iran’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, had been giving an interview on state television at the demonstration when the strike happened.

His bodyguards encircled him, as he raised his fist and said Iran “under this rain and missiles will never withdraw”.

Israel had earlier announced another wave of strikes in Iran targeting infrastructure, and said its air force had hit more than 200 targets in the last 24 hours, including missile launchers, defence systems and weapons production sites.

In Washington, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said that over 15,000 enemy targets have been struck, which is more than 1,000 a day since the war began.

He also sought to address concerns about the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters: “We have been dealing with it and don’t need to worry about it.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday vowed to continue the attacks and keep the strait closed in his first public statement since succeeding his father, who was killed in the opening day of the war.

Mr Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over leadership and released a written statement.

Mr Hegseth said Mr Khamenei “is wounded and likely disfigured,” without providing evidence or elaborating. Israel suspects Mr Khamenei was wounded at the start of the war.

The US military confirmed on Friday that all six crew members of an American KC-135 refuelling plane were killed when it crashed in Iraq, bringing the US death toll to at least 13 service members.

US Central Command said the crash was not related to friendly or hostile fire, and that two aircraft were involved, including one that landed safely.

The KC-135 is the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the US military’s operations against Iran. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire.

Iran continued its daily attacks on oil and other infrastructure across the Gulf. In Oman, two people were killed when two drones crashed in the Sohar region, the Oman News Agency reported.