00:00We've seen reporting that the United States 82nd Airborne Division is on its way to the region.
00:06They're described as a top conventional combat team, quote, equipped for full spectrum operations, including possibly taking over Harg Island
00:16or other territory.
00:18Can you tell us what's your estimate of the potential uses of that division?
00:23Well, first, I think it's important to recognize that this is additional capacity beyond the scope of two carrier strike
00:30groups that the United States has currently deployed in the region and a tremendous amount of air assets, both forward
00:35deployed and those that are taking part in the operation from the continental United States and other bases around the
00:41world.
00:41But it's also not the entirety of the 82nd Airborne Division.
00:44It's a command and control element from its headquarters and I think little less than a brigade combat team.
00:50So only a portion of an entire U.S. division.
00:53I think there are multiple purposes that this this particular capability can bring.
00:58First, it can expand our defensive capacity around our infrastructure.
01:02Second, it can provide the ability to conduct offensive operations in the region where necessary, certainly against Iran.
01:09And also, of course, it can be used as part of the leverage that the president is building in the
01:16negotiating process to demonstrate U.S. resolve.
01:19What I don't think it is, is an indication that the United States has an intention to have some sort
01:24of presence inside of Iran.
01:26And I don't see the case, frankly, for it being used against Karg Island in particular, because we have a
01:31way to prevent it from functioning as an economic target more viably without having the necessity of putting U.S.
01:38troops on the ground.
01:38Second, it's a great distance from the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's ability to restrict traffic through it, which is
01:44being rapidly diminished.
01:45There are, however, a number of other potential uses, including the islands and the military capacity in and around the
01:52straits.
01:52But also the question has been raised about other sensitive sites inside of Iran, which may require a level of
01:59action that cannot be performed by aircraft alone.
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