The U.S. is deploying to the Middle East a Marine expeditionary unit that can conduct ground operations if needed.Multiple outlets reported Friday that the amphibious assault ship the USS Tripoli, which is based in Japan, is being sent to the Middle East instead, along with multiple other warships and fighter jets. The attached unit 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit has about thousands of Marines and sailors and can offer land, amphibious, and aviation support.The move could be to potentially aid the U.S. Navy in escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz—but it does not inspire faith in the success or point to the conclusion of the war on Iran, especially given that it will take the Marines 10 days to two weeks to reach the region. Just hours ago, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that “[w]e’re on plan to defeat, destroy, disable all of their meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before … their missile force is shrinking daily.” Iran’s retaliatory blockade and oil tanker attacks on the Strait have cost the United States $11 billion, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.