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The United States is rapidly deploying additional Marines, sailors and soldiers to West Asia amid escalating tensions with Iran around the Strait of Hormuz.
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00:02Good evening, big story coming in. The United States is rushing the deployment of additional U.S. Marines, sailors and
00:10soldiers to West Asia amid spiking tensions with Iran, especially around the Strait of Hormuz.
00:16That's the big story that's coming in. The USS Boxer, it's an amphibious ready group ARG and this amphibious ready
00:24group includes the USS Boxer, which is an amphibious assault ship, USS Portland and USS Comstock.
00:31Now, they've embarked the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and they're deploying ahead of their schedule from the U.S. West
00:41Coast ex-San Diego.
00:43Now, this involves deploying about 4,000 personnel, including between 2,000 to 2,500 U.S. Marines, supporting sailors,
00:54supporting soldiers equipped with aircraft, including the latest fifth generation fighter jets, the F-35s, missiles, amphibious assault vehicles and
01:02other assets for potential rapid deployment, potential rapid response, maritime security or maybe even limited ground taking operations.
01:12But that's just one part. The second part, this unit is expected to link up. Remember, India today told you
01:19about USS Tripoli and other amphibious assault ships and its associated forces, including elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
01:28They're already on route. They're heading towards this region ex-Okinawa base Japan of the Pacific Coast.
01:38So, imagine you have one unit that's coming in from the San Diego side, the other that's coming in from
01:44the Japan side, and the combined reinforcements would indicate close to 8,000 U.S. Marines and other service personnel,
01:52when fully integrated, they would be deployed anywhere close to this region for any mission, according to reports that are
01:59coming in from the United States of America.
02:01And this deployment is actually in response to requests that came in from the U.S. CENTCOM, the U.S.
02:07Central Command, to bolster presence of U.S. soldiers on ground amidst rising tensions, Iranian actions against global shipping that
02:17have shocked the world, broader regional conflict that involves U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran.
02:22Incidentally, Iran has issued another major threat. This is day 21 of the conflict. Iran has said, worldwide, tourist places,
02:32recreational centers and parks are not safe for its enemies. They remain fair game.
02:38That's one development.
02:40U.S. President Donald Trump, he's actually lashing out at his own allies. He's lashed out at the North Atlantic
02:46Treaty Organization or NATO member states.
02:48He took to social media platform. He writes, and I quote,
02:53Without the USA, NATO is a paper tiger. They didn't want to join the fight to stop a nuclear-powered
03:03Iran.
03:04And now that the fight is militarily won, with very little danger for them, they complain about high oil prices,
03:12they are forced to pay,
03:13but don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is a single reason for
03:20the high oil prices.
03:22So easy for them to do, with so little risk.
03:26Cowards, we will remember.
03:29Here is Donald Trump, who's calling NATO member states cowards for not joining the fight to keep the sea lanes
03:36of communication open.
03:38We'll get you much more on this story and the fast-paced developments that are taking place.
03:43Incidentally, the decapitation operations mounted by Israel and the United States of America,
03:48even on day 21, they continue.
03:50Top leaders of the IRGC or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran,
03:55they continue to be taken down.
03:57And I'll get you much more on this story.
03:59But massive ramifications of U.S. talking about putting boots on ground.
04:03I'll also get you a statement of Scott Besant.
04:06Scott Besant is U.S. Treasury Secretary.
04:09And in an interview in the United States of America,
04:11he seemed to indicate that America may take control of assets on the Khark Island or words to that effect.
04:20Now, Khark Island is the jewel of Iran.
04:22It's the crown jewel of Iran.
04:2490% of Iranian oil is exported from this island.
04:27And there's a complex web of islands in that region.
04:30Much more on that big story.
04:32But first, I get you this report.
04:5021 days, 3 weeks.
04:56That's how long the war in West Asia has dragged on.
05:09And all signs now point to a prolonged conflict.
05:17U.S. President Donald Trump insists this will not be an endless war.
05:22Ruling out boots on the ground.
05:26No, I'm not putting troops anywhere.
05:29If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you.
05:32But I'm not putting troops.
05:33We have the strongest military in the world by far.
05:36We have the greatest equipment in the world by far.
05:38In fact, Japan buys our equipment.
05:42But developments on the ground suggest otherwise.
05:46Satellite imagery shows the U.S. warship USS Tripoli carrying over 2,200 personnel moving towards the Middle East.
05:55It's objective, securing and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
06:00A checkpoint for nearly 20% of global oil supply.
06:05At the same time, the U.S. has cancelled a major training exercise involving its elite 82nd Airborne Division,
06:12a force of up to 5,000 para-troopers, just two weeks ago.
06:17An America's ally in this war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
06:21who gave another proof of life, has kept the option of a ground deployment open.
06:27I think the question is, will the conditions be created for such a change?
06:31I think it's too early to say.
06:33And I think in the final account, as I said, it's up to the Iranian people to show that,
06:39to choose the moment and to rise to the moment.
06:42There has to be a ground component as well.
06:44There are many possibilities for this ground component.
06:46And I take the liberty of not sharing with you all those possibilities.
06:54On the battlefield, Israel claims another high-profile hit.
06:58The spokesperson of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Ali Mohamed Neni, killed in an IDF strike.
07:07But Tehran is far from backing down.
07:09For the second straight day, Kuwait's largest refinery, Meena al-Ahmadi, has come under attack.
07:16Iran also claims it has downed an American F-35, the most advanced stealth fighter jet,
07:23never before hit in combat.
07:26And just a day earlier, strikes hit a key Israeli oil facility in the port city of Haifa.
07:32The fallout is now spreading far beyond the battlefield.
07:38Attacks on crucial energy infrastructure across the Gulf are tightening global supply,
07:43pushing oil prices sharply higher.
07:47And in India, the impact is now more and more visible.
07:52Three of India's top fuel retailers have raised premium petrol prices by 2 rupees or more.
08:00And the food delivery platform, Zomato, has hiked its platform fee by 19%.
08:07The global economy has already taken a major hit in the first three weeks of the war.
08:13And all signs point towards conflict that is only getting bigger.
08:20Bureau Report, India Today.
08:30The United States has released a poster featuring top commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
08:37A $10 million reward for any information that leads to their capture.
08:45And this isn't the first time that the United States has put out such posters,
08:49offering bounties on top Iranian officials.
08:53Similar posters have been released in the past,
08:55but this poster and the timing of this poster is extremely interesting.
09:00This is a time when Israel and the United States,
09:03they're both very confident.
09:04They've taken down most of the top-rung leaders of Iran.
09:09The IRGC, the Basij, the religious wing,
09:14including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
09:16And of course, his son, Mujtapad.
09:18According to Israel, he's also injured.
09:20The poster comes as U.S. and Israel continue to take out Iran's leadership that includes military personnel.
09:28Today, the IRGC spokesperson, Ali Mohamed Naini, was killed in an airstrike.
09:33This was an Israeli precision strike earlier this week.
09:36The security chief, Ali Larijani, he was killed.
09:40The commander of the Basij forces, he was eliminated.
09:44And a large number of top leaders have already been taken down.
09:49Now, there's another hit list that the United States has put out.
09:5310 million dollars information leading to the capture of these people.
09:59U.S. President Donald Trump, he's hitting out at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
10:05He's said, without the USA, NATO is a paper tiger.
10:09They didn't want to join the fight to stop a nuclear-powered Iran.
10:12Now, that the fight is militarily won, there's very little danger for them.
10:19They complain about high oil prices.
10:21They are forced to pay.
10:22But they don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
10:25A simple military maneuver that is the single reason for this high oil prices.
10:30So easy for them to do so.
10:32So little risk.
10:33Cowards.
10:35Imagine one member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization calling the other members cowards.
10:40He says, we will remember this.
10:43The question we are asking here on India today, is the United States all set to put boots on ground?
10:49Why are we asking this?
10:50There are two major developments that have taken place and they may be subsurface right now.
10:56One, a statement by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Pesant.
10:59He's been quoted in the U.S. media saying, words for the effect, on Kharg Island, the U.S. will
11:06see it eventually becomes a U.S. asset.
11:10The second development, USS Boxer, the amphibious ready group, the ARG.
11:16And this ready group includes the Boxer, which is an amphibious assault ship, has the USS Portland, has the USS
11:22Comstock.
11:24They have embarked the 11th MEU, or the Marine Expeditionary Unit, and they're deploying in the region ahead of their
11:30schedule.
11:31They're moving from the U.S. West Coast, from San Diego.
11:34Let's try and make sense of these developments.
11:35Joining me on the special broadcast, Commodore Dr. Srikant Keshnoor.
11:40Commodore Dr. Keshnoor is a former director of the Marine Warfare Center in Mumbai.
11:45Incidentally, he's also commanded INSP Jalashwa, India's landing ship.
11:51Also with me, Sandeep Unnithan, a senior journalist and my colleague.
11:55Also joining us on this broadcast is Daniel Block, senior editor of foreign affairs.
11:59And I'll come to Daniel Block in just a moment.
12:01But Sandeep, what should we make of the amphibious ready group, USS Boxer and USS Triple E, both heading from
12:09two different directions?
12:10Is an amphibious assault on the cards, Sandeep?
12:13Well, it seems imminent, Gaurav.
12:15I mean, the fact that the U.S. has moved two of its most capable amphibious ready groups towards the
12:20theater of action
12:22points to the fact that they are headed into the Persian Gulf, possibly to capture Khark.
12:27Because the surround sound around Khark Island has been growing over the last two weeks
12:32as the U.S. has not been able to establish any clear breakthroughs in this 21-day conflict with Iran.
12:39It seems that Khark Island could be that leverage that they could get over Iran.
12:44If the capture of Khark Island, which is the most valuable island possibly on the planet, 90% of Iran's
12:51oil and gas flows out of that one single island.
12:54It's about 25 square kilometers.
12:56It's 20 kilometers off the coast of Iran.
12:59But there are huge problems with it, Gaurav.
13:02The fact that it is over 400 kilometers into the Persian Gulf, which means that that ARG,
13:08even two ARGs, amphibious ready groups, they have to fight their way through more than 400 kilometers of hostile waters.
13:15Guarded by Iran, the entire might of the IRGC, the missile forces, their maritime offensive platforms, their underwater strike vessels,
13:26everything will be positioned to prevent the United States from breaking through the Straits of Hormuz.
13:31So, let me bring in Commodore Kersnoor and try and understand how difficult would a marine assault operation be.
13:38Commodore Kersnoor, how challenging would such an amphibious assault on Khark Island be
13:42after multiple waves of airstrikes where President Trump seems to have said words to the effect,
13:49Iran's military capabilities on the island have been destroyed.
13:52Not the oil, not the pipelines, but their military capabilities.
13:59It will be fairly challenging because, as Sandeep brought out, you have to go through a narrow strait and then
14:06into the Gulf.
14:07And that will involve all the sea denial elements that Iran would throw in at this amphibious group.
14:15Now, of course, one is also the possibility that the strait would be mined
14:20and they will have to go across possible minefields there.
14:26But in addition, there could be the kamikaze drones, there could be the missile boats,
14:31there could be everything else and including, as we said, submersibles.
14:35Because if it is an amphibious assault, particularly on Khark,
14:40remember, it would be a last-ditch thing for Iran too.
14:44And she's going to throw everything she has in the basket,
14:47which will mean if she were to array all her sea denial elements,
14:51there could be fair element of losses and bloodshed.
14:55Unless, of course, the U.S. has a walkover or unless she's doing all of this for some sort of
15:02posturing.
15:02We don't know.
15:03At this point of time, we're looking at between two to three weeks before these groups land up on the
15:11Persian Gulf.
15:12So, much water can flow until that time.
15:16But if she were to actually go to do this assault, she will need sea control, as we say.
15:22Because the basis to amphibious assault or amphibious operations is a fair element of sea control,
15:28which means that you have to degrade all the sea denial elements.
15:32And as of now, there are no indications that America has succeeded in sea denial.
15:39Daniel Bloch, welcome.
15:41Trump is already calling all NATO allies cowards for not joining in this operation
15:47to keep sea lanes of communication open in the very critical state of Hormuz.
15:52But what would you make of two developments?
15:55One, Scott Peasant indicating that Khark Island could become a U.S. asset.
16:00And two, the two aircraft, you know, ready groups, Tripoli and Boxer, moving towards these waters.
16:12I think that if I'm going to take those in order, the talk of Khark Island shows the United States'
16:19willingness to escalate the conflict.
16:21Remember, this is the island where an enormous share of Iran's, I think, oil and gas exports travel out of.
16:27It's also strategically significant in terms of controlling commerce around Iran.
16:33So I think that this is signaling, and I think it's credible, I think it's backed up by actual plans
16:39to possibly do this.
16:40I'm not saying that they will.
16:42That if commerce doesn't start flowing again through the Strait of Hormuz, the United States is ready to escalate.
16:48It's ready to make Iran's economy suffer even more than it already is in pursuit of trying to, again, open
16:56up that Strait,
16:57get commerce flowing again, and try and less improve, you know, its own economy, the United States' own economy,
17:03and the economy of its allies.
17:05And I guess by extension, the whole kind of global economy, because the Strait of Hormuz is so important to
17:09global commerce.
17:10I think if you then look at the aircraft carriers, it's part of the same thing.
17:15It's signaling that the United States is ready to commit more military forces to this operation.
17:21It's willing to go further and be even more aggressive, again, in trying to open up the Strait of Hormuz
17:27or generally just get Iran to back down.
17:30But as of now, there are absolutely no indications that America and Israel together, despite 21 days of strikes,
17:38are in a position to get Iran to back down.
17:42Perhaps that's the nature of the asymmetric warfare that is being waged.
17:46And on the other side of a quick break, when we meet at 8.30, we'll talk more about that.
17:51But what are other signals that America is preparing to put boots on ground?
17:57Could that happen soon?
17:58Soon, the signals are, you know, louder, they're stronger and increasingly harder to ignore.
18:05Take, for example, the 2nd of March, couple of days into the war, US Secretary of War, Pete Hickseth,
18:11he refused to rule out possibility of deployment of ground troops,
18:15a statement that raised serious concerns about escalation.
18:19A key development on the military front is the training of the Elite 82nd Airborne Division
18:26got curtailed, some said cancelled, hinting at possible redeployment for active operations.
18:34And that's not it.
18:35We were just speaking about USS Tripoli.
18:37So USS Tripoli is carrying about 2,200 Marine Expeditionary Unit members on route West Asia.
18:45A clear indication, US is positioning assets closer to the conflict zone.
18:51Finally, let me also talk about Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, insisting.
18:56He's also signaled that all options are on the table.
19:00Plus, from San Diego, USS Boxer and other ships, part of the, again, the Expeditionary Unit,
19:08the 31st Expeditionary Unit and the 11th Expeditionary Unit,
19:12two different Expeditionary Units are moving in the same direction.
19:16Does this indicate ground operations?
19:18Once again, I want to bring in Commodore Keshnoor into this conversation first.
19:24Commodore Keshnoor, if you were to join the dots,
19:28to get into battle, you have to position troops in the battle zone
19:33before you get into action.
19:35Is the United States taking that decision first and then positioning soldiers later?
19:41Because in the Gulf War, they had ample time.
19:44They prepared, they had troops on ground and then they went in first shock and awe
19:48and then ground positioning.
19:51Here, are they, they did the shock and awe,
19:54are they realizing it's not working and now belatedly moving ground troops in?
19:59Well, on the face of it, it might appear so.
20:03But I think, in a sense, Americans, if they believe that they are a global power
20:08and they subscribe to that thought, I think they do have troops trained for such eventualities.
20:15We must not forget that all these amphibious groups or carrier groups have been deployed in the past.
20:21I mean, the level of how much they have practiced and ready is a matter of debate.
20:25But amphibious task forces or amphibious strike groups or carrier strike groups
20:30are meant for these kind of eventualities, ultimately to have boots on ground.
20:36Now, of course, the Americans, over a period of time, have come to believe that they must do it faster.
20:43There's the concept of vertical envelopment using greater number of, for example,
20:49you know, helicopters and, you know, flexible aircraft to deliver cargo on the beaches or places of interest.
20:58There's also the use of LCACs and stuff like that.
21:01That having been said, I think you make an important point.
21:06If you have to have troops on ground, you've got to be prepared for it,
21:10including you've got to be prepared for losses and body bags.
21:15How much are the Americans prepared for that,
21:18considering that President Trump initially said we will not have boots on ground?
21:23And now there has been a recalibration of that.
21:25I think that is moot.
21:27I mean, are they prepared to lose people because amphibious assaults can turn out to be quite bloody
21:35unless one side yields or gives a walkover when it sees the other side's power.
21:42So far, there are no indications.
21:45So far, no indications that Iran is yielding.
21:48And, you know, on the other side of our break, we'll be talking about that in asymmetric warfare.
21:52But, Daniel, are the Americans willing to accept body bags midterms in November?
22:01President Trump wanted to perhaps indicate quick in, quick out, four to six weeks.
22:06The way this battle is moving forward, do you see this last longer than four to six weeks?
22:12I would be surprised if this is wrapped up within the four to six week timeline that Trump originally laid
22:18out for many reasons.
22:21One, I'll just mention quickly because I want to get to your other question as well,
22:24is it's not just up to the United States when the war ends.
22:28It's also up to Israel and Iran.
22:29And Iran might have an incentive to keep fighting,
22:32to keep dealing more damage to the United States and its allies in the region
22:37in order to make the costs intolerable in some way or to get, you know,
22:41the United States to think going forward, we don't want to do this again,
22:44to reestablish deterrence, in other words.
22:47But then getting to your other question, you know, are Americans willing to accept body bags?
22:51I think it's worth noting there have already been some U.S. casualties.
22:55Yes.
22:55The answer is it depends on the number.
22:58But I think what's important to remember here is the United States is much more casualty sensitive than Iran is.
23:04You know, the United States, as you mentioned, we have the midterms coming up.
23:09American politicians have to worry about how voters are going to feel in 2026 about American casualties
23:15and also about gas prices, about many other effects that are coming out of the conflict.
23:20Iranian politicians don't have to worry about that.
23:22So it's a situation where if the United States starts taking lots of deaths,
23:28many military deaths, perhaps even some civilian deaths,
23:30and you have gas prices continuing to rise,
23:33I think that's going to be a difficult political situation for Trump and for Republicans in Congress.
23:38So what should we make of the 82nd Airborne or News Sandeep of 82nd Airborne
23:45curtailing some of its exercises?
23:48Would you see this as psychological warfare?
23:51Or would you see this as preparation for a longer assault?
23:55Because if Khark Island has to be taken, clearly 8,000 MEU, you know, marine expeditionary unit cannot do it
24:04on their own.
24:05There are other islands and you have to think of how Iran would respond.
24:08Is that why the 82nd Airborne would also be spoken of?
24:11Yeah, possibly, Gaurav.
24:13One doesn't know what the U.S. is thinking right now,
24:15but, you know, clearly these are all the options that the U.S. would like to have in front of
24:20them.
24:20The MEUs are, of course, the two MEUs that will come into theatre,
24:24one possibly by the end of, middle of next week,
24:27and the other two or three weeks after.
24:30San Diego is a long way off from the Straits of Hormuz.
24:32But the 82nd Airborne is interesting because that is something that gives the U.S.
24:36this capability of vertical envelopment, as Commodore Srikant was mentioning.
24:41Very quickly, in a couple of hours, possibly, they could be there in theatre.
24:45And if the U.S. planners assess that, you know, fighting through the Straits of Hormuz is unviable,
24:50let's not forget that Khark Island is more than 400 kilometers deep inside the Persian Gulf.
24:56If the planners think that, you know, it makes more sense to capture from the air
25:01and use special forces, possibly that's when, you know, units like the 82nd Airborne would come in,
25:07where they would, you know, directly para-drop onto the island, use special forces and capture it.
25:13And then, maybe the, you know, the other follow-on forces then come in, the MEUs come in.
25:18But this is a distinct possibility.
25:21It could well be that the MEUs that are, you know, sailing into theatre could be a deception operation.
25:26It's a feint, whereas the real operation could come from the air.
25:29Yet, you know, this always happens in conflict.
25:31There is that element of surprise.
25:33Oh, absolutely.
25:34But President Trump has already declared victory when he calls NATO allies cowards,
25:39saying we've already won the war militarily.
25:41But then there are potential military scenarios that are under discussion in the United States of America,
25:46according to reports that are emerging from there.
25:49And each scenario carries its own risks, but has stated strategic objectives.
25:54Option one, we were speaking of the Khark Island.
25:56It's a key Iranian oil hub, but it's a high-risk target.
26:01As Sandeep and Komaror Krishnur were just telling us, 400 kilometers deep inside the Strait of Hormuz.
26:06Officials acknowledge any operation here would be extremely dangerous
26:11because Iran is best protecting its crown jewel.
26:16Iranian drones, missiles capable of striking, you know, at sea, at will.
26:22Then the undersea drones in these waters.
26:25Option two, the Strait of Hormuz, the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz.
26:29This would involve deploying U.S. troops at Iran's shorelines with the primary aim of securing the sea lanes of
26:37communication
26:38so that global tankers can pass unhindered.
26:41This is one of the world's most critical energy choke points.
26:45Option three, is VAVPs inside Iran taking control of the nuclear-enriched material?
26:53This is option three and perhaps the most difficult, or perhaps each more difficult than the other.
26:59And this would mark serious escalation if mainland Iran and different parts of Iran,
27:05there are many reports that seem to indicate that the coastal belt and Isfahan could be target one,
27:11and then they start moving north.
27:13But then American President is already saying that they are not in a mood for a long-term deployment.
27:20The key aim does remain securing stockpiles of enriched uranium.
27:25I once again want to bring in Daniel Block into this conversation.
27:29What would you make of Donald Trump calling NATO allies cowards first?
27:33Their help is sought when they dither.
27:36He calls them cowards, saying the battle is already won.
27:39Has the battle already been won militarily in your appreciation?
27:44Well, I'd say no.
27:46The battle certainly hasn't been won militarily.
27:48And I think that Trump knows that because typically when you've won a battle militarily,
27:54the fighting stops or is winding down.
27:57And that's not what's happening here.
27:59In terms of him calling NATO allies cowards, I think this reflects two forces which are dovetailing here.
28:06The first is his longstanding disdain for the United States' traditional allies, in particular NATO.
28:12This is something that dates back to his first campaign for president in 2015 and 2016.
28:19He believes that Europe in particular and Canada, which is saying NATO, that these are freeloaders who are not spending
28:26enough on defense,
28:27that they're riding off of the might of the United States.
28:31And then I think that's dovetailing with his frustration that NATO countries are not doing a whole lot to help
28:37the United States and Israel with this campaign.
28:40Because, frankly, they don't see this as their war.
28:42They don't believe that this affects their security interests.
28:46They may, in fact, think that this makes them less safe than they were before.
28:51So, I think it's...
28:53Okay, you know, the last 30 seconds I have on this part of the show, I want to understand from
28:56you.
28:56Three options, each more difficult than the other, whether it's Khark Island taking control of Isfahan or the Iranian coastal
29:04belt or securing the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz?
29:09The first thing they would want to do is secure the mouth of Strait of Hormuz, unless they do an
29:15airborne assault on Khark.
29:16Otherwise, I would still think that without controlling the Strait, it would be difficult for them to get in.
29:23But, you know, NLS can't become soothsayers.
29:26So, the jury is out on what could be these options.
29:30And we'll be tracking all those options and all the developments that take place.
29:34I need to slip into a quick break here.
29:35I want to thank all my guests.
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