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Middle East

Military news from the Middle East.

Latest in Middle East

Image: U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit board M/T Celestial Sea, an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker suspected of attempting to violate the U.S. blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port, May 20, 2026. American forces released the vessel after searching and directing the ship’s crew to alter course. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo)

Navy lifts blockade, will keep ships around the Strait of Hormuz

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted 17 Hours Ago

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit

The US would need at least 1,200 troops to take Kharg Island, experts say

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jun 11, 2026

Trump says Iran shot down Apache helicopter, vows response

By Jeff Schogol

Updated on Jun 9, 2026

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Terrance Greenwood, 40th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130 loadmaster, conducts final checks to ensure security of container delivery system bundles before loading onto an aircraft at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, July 5, 2023. The 40th EAS provides U.S. Air Forces Central a global reach tactical airlift mission capability and is a prime transport for airdropping and transiting personnel and equipment into hostile areas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Isaac Garden)

Iranian missiles target U.S. base in Kuwait as both sides keep trading fire

By Nicholas Slayton, Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jun 1, 2026

Fighting between US and Iran continues amid ‘ceasefire’

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on May 28, 2026

Navy F/A-18 disables ship in Gulf of Oman with 20mm cannon

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on May 6, 2026

Image: ARABIAN SEA - APRIL 20: (EDITOR'S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy.) In this handout photo provided by U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska on April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the U.S. accused of attempting to violate the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. (Handout Photo by the U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

US will help ‘guide’ trapped ships out of the Strait of Hormuz

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on May 4, 2026

A U.S. Sailor aboard the world's largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), signals the launch of an F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft from the flight deck, Nov. 17, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president's priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

Navy tells sailors to ‘beware’ of dating apps, button-up social media amid Iran conflict

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Apr 20, 2026

Image: U.S. Marines fire rifles during a deck shoot aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7), in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during Operation Epic Fury, April 2, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

Marines seize Iranian cargo ship

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 19, 2026

Joint and combined personnel monitor workstations in the Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. The center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week; continuously coordinating, planning, integrating, synchronizing and executing space operations; providing tailored space effects on demand to support combatant commanders; and accomplishing national security objectives. (Composited images are used over the monitors for operational security.)

Iran war demonstrates a ‘combat credible’ Space Force, top guardian says

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 18, 2026

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) sails alongside fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187), during a replenishment-at-sea in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 18, 2026. Frank E. Peterson Jr. is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christian Kibler)

What we know about the US military’s blockade of Iran

By Jeff Schogol, Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 13, 2026

An American Navy destroyer sails through the Strait of Hormuz on April 11, 2026.

Two destroyers cross Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine clearance mission

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 11, 2026

U.S. Army MH-60M Black Hawks assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) fly in formation during a helicopter air-to-air refueling exercise above the Southeastern United States, Jan. 23, 2026. Air to air refueling extends a helicopter’s non-stop flight distance, a capability necessary for joint special operations missions far from established airfields and logistical support. These exercises demonstrate the 1 SOW’s ability to project specialized airpower whenever and wherever needed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isabel Tanner)

What we know about the commando raid to recover the F-15 crew member in Iran

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 5, 2026

Marine Expeditionary Unit

Here’s what Marine Expeditionary Units are designed to do

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Apr 1, 2026

U.S. Sailors assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8 observe an F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 31, land on the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), while underway during Operation Epic Fury, March 18, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)

Troops in Qatar, UAE, 8 other regions now get combat pay for Epic Fury

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Apr 1, 2026

U.S. Army Spc. Jake Amato, an MK48 machine gunner assigned to Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team, patrols through a field looking for triggermen in the Alisheng district, Laghman province, Afghanistan, on Sept. 12, 2011. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane, U.S. Army. )

Hegseth says US won’t rule out deploying ‘boots on the ground’ for Iran war

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 31, 2026