With the crisis seeming escalating and taking deeper roots in the United States-Israel war on Iran, emerging reports indicate that President Donald Trump has approved the deployment of more than 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.
Reports quoted Sky News and NBC News as saying that President Trump approved the deployment on Tuesday night and the orders are being written today for the headquarters, staff, and some ground forces, but not the full brigade.
The full brigade consists of over 3,000 troops, but this deployment will be fewer than half that, under 1,500 soldiers, which clears up earlier reports that thousands of additional troops would be sent.
However, it was reliably gathered that the extra troops have not yet left the US, but could be sent overseas in the coming days. The 82nd airborne is an elite infantry division specializing in forcible entry parachute assaults.
US Approaches Iran With 15-point Plan To End War
Meanwhile, a source familiar with issues around the ongoing war has reportedly informed Reuters that the US has approached Iranian authorities with a 15-point plan aimed at ending the US-Israel war on the Islamic Republic.
News of the US plan was reported earlier by the New York Times (NYT), which, citing two officials, said the plan was delivered through Pakistan and according to the NYT’s report, it is unclear how widely the plan had been shared among Iranian officials and whether the embattled nation was likely to accept it as a basis for negotiations.
It is not also clear whether Israel, which has been bombing Iran with the US, was on board with the proposal. (Israeli officials have previously said strikes would continue on Iran, and Lebanon, even as the US considers ceasefire possibilities).
According to Israel’s Channel 12 news, the 15 points are captured as follows:
- Iran dismantling its nuclear capabilities;
- Iran committing to not pursuing further nuclear weapons;
- Iran not enriching any more nuclear material;
- All enriched material will be delivered to Saba on a schedule to be determined by the US, Israel and Iran;
- The Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow nuclear facilities will be decommissioned;
- The Atomic Energy Agency will get access to all nuclear information with regard to Iran’s programme;
- Iran will abandon its proxy model;
- Iran will stop its actual funding and arming of proxies in the region;
- The strait of Hormuz will remain open, as a free maritime zone and unblocked in the future;
- Iran will limit the number and range of its missiles;
- Any further use of its missiles will be for Iranian self-defence only;
- All sanctions on Iran will be lifted;
- Iran will be assisted in developing a civil nuclear project in Bushehr;
- The snap-back threat against Iran will be removed,
- The US and Israel will assist Iran in promoting and developing a civil nuclear project in Bushehr (electricity generation). – With the Guardian Reports
