Japan-Based USS Tripoli, Marine Unit to Be Sent to Middle East, U.S. Media Report

By Shinji Abe / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

17:31 JST, March 14, 2026

WASHINGTON — The United States plans to deploy a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship and a Marine Corps unit, both based in Japan, to the Middle East amid its ongoing conflict with Iran, U.S. media outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal, reported Friday.

The sailors and marines are expected to join other U.S. units already deployed in the region within one to two weeks and then participate in the U.S. military operation against Iran.

According to media reports, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli — which belongs to the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet and is stationed at the Sasebo U.S. naval base in Nagasaki Prefecture — and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Hansen in Okinawa Prefecture are headed for the Middle East. This deployment will involve a total of 5,000 military personnel, 2,500 from each entity.

In response to a series of Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a key choke point for maritime transport, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly approved the deployment of additional forces at the request of U.S. Central Command.

The Marine Corps carries out not only amphibious operations but also tasks such as protecting embassies and evacuating civilians. Citing a U.S. official, the Associated Press reported that this deployment “does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will take place.”

The USS Tripoli is equipped with state-of-the-art F-35B stealth fighters. Earlier this month, it participated in joint training with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well as with Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force and the Maritime Self-Defense Force, to strengthen its readiness.

According to U.S. and South Korean media outlets, there also have been moves to transfer U.S. weapons based in South Korea to the Middle East. Some experts say the transfer of some U.S. military forces from Japan and South Korea to the Middle East could temporarily weaken U.S. deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.