Commander of 82nd Airborne Ordered to Middle East for Potential Ground Operation in Iran

Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier, the chief of the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, and his headquarters staff have been ordered to the Middle East as the Pentagon prepares for potential ground operations in Iran, The Intercept reported Tuesday, citing two US government officials.

The New York Times reported a day earlier that the US War Department was considering deploying the 82nd Airborne’s “Immediate Response Force,” a brigade of about 3,000 soldiers, and that order is now said to be imminent.

Thousands of US Marines are also heading for the Middle East as the Trump administration is considering several options for ground operations, including seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, taking control of Iranian ports and oil infrastructure, or securing Iran’s stockpile of uranium that’s enriched at 60%, which is believed to be buried under rubble following the June 2025 US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.