Trump wants an Iwo Jima moment in Iran; will Americans be OK with the fallout?

The last few years on social media, you may have seen some disturbing videos. Russian and Ukrainian troops being hunted down by drones. The first person view from the drone shows them being tracked, cornered and then killed. Some try to run, some try to shoot at them or use their rifles as bats, some take cover, some beg the camera for mercy hoping the operator of said drone grants it, and others give up and pray knowing they will die soon. Now imagine that being United States Marines and sailors.

The news that the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) might be headed to the Middle East to reinforce the 31st MEU, which was already ordered there, raises the odds that ground troops might play a part in President Trump’s war with Iran. It is pretty apparent that despite Trump’s claims that Iran has been beaten and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s claim that Iran’s military has been destroyed, Iran is still very much in the fight.

Iran’s obvious move to close the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t obvious to the Trump administration and how this war’s objectives have switched from changing regimes, to no nukes, to opening up shipping for oil. The markets don’t lie and Trump is hoping his predictions that gas prices going up are temporary turns out to be true even though it doesn’t look that way. Trump needs the Strait of Hormuz opened and the Marines might be the obvious and fastest solution to getting that done.

There is no doubt the Marines can take the various islands in the Strait and monitor the coast of Iran for any threats, thereby allowing ships to pass more easily. The Navy and Marines........

© The Hill