Thousands of U.S. Marines cancel exercise in Morocco and head to the Mediterranean Sea amid Middle East tensions
The U.S. has terminated a planned exercise with the Moroccan military, African Sea Lion 2020, to send Marines to the Mediterranean Sea as tensions escalate between the U.S. and Iran rise following the airstrike that killed Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani.
The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit with 2,200 Marines aboard are now heading to the Middle East.
“USS Bataan and embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are underway conducting routine operations, demonstrating the inherent flexibility of our naval forces,” Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a U.S. 6th Fleet spokesman was quoted as saying by USNI News. “ARGMEUs operate continuously across the globe to provide commanders with a forward-deployed, flexible and responsive sea-based Marine Air-Ground Task Force.”
The Marines are expected to join soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division who have been sent to Iraq from Kuwait as a security measure following the U.S. in Baghdad. An additional 4,000 American troops are expected to be deployed later this week to prevent militia attacks, according to media reports.
Tensions with Iran escalated after the U.S. airstrike that killed a key Iranian military leader after which the Iranians pledged “harsh retaliation”. However, President Donald Trump on Friday defended the killing, saying the United States killed Iran’s top military commander Qasem Soleimani “to stop a war, not to start one”.
