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Why is the US sending more troops to the Middle East now?

Why is the US sending more troops to the Middle East now?
By Lyndal Rowlands, Ted Regencia, Zaid Sabah, Fiona Kelliher, Virginia Pietromarchi, Elis Gjevori, Caolán Magee, Mariamne Everett and Faisal Ali
Published On 31 Mar 2026

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1 Apr 2026 - 00:00
 (00:00 GMT)

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Join us for all the latest developments, analyses and reactions here.

People sift through rubble in the aftermath of a drone attack on a residential building in eastern Tehran, Iran [Majid Saeedi/Getty Images]
31 Mar 2026 - 23:50
 (23:50 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

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Here are some of the day’s top developments:

  • Trump said regime change in Iran was not a goal for Washington, and that the US could wrap up its campaign in Iran within two to three weeks.
  • Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed to Al Jazeera that messages have been exchanged with the US, but insisted that Tehran is not in negotiations with Washington.
  • Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the US is “negotiating with bombs”, as he urged Iran to make a peace deal or face expanded attacks.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran’s regional allies no longer pose an existential threat, while acknowledging Iran can still launch drones and missiles.
  • A foreign journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said.
  • The UN’s Development Programme said the expanding war on Iran could cost the region $194bn.
  • Israel plans to occupy parts of Lebanon after the war ends, the country’s defence minister said.
  • A US senator said that if Yemen’s Houthis block the Suez Canal, the global economic situation will become dire.
31 Mar 2026 - 23:40
 (23:40 GMT)
Analysis

‘Not as easy’ for Trump to walk out of war on Iran

Despite US President Donald Trump’s declaration that the US military operation against Iran will end in two to three weeks, it is unlikely that the war will quickly end and that the Strait of Hormuz will suddenly reopen, an Iran foreign policy expert said.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute said Iran “will continue to control the Strait of Hormuz, and will probably continue to shoot at it”.

“I do not think it’s as easy for Trump to just walk out” of the conflict, Parsi said.

He noted that Trump is “trying to create a narrative of success” by saying that opening the strait is not part of the US objective in the war on Iran.

But Parsi added that the president is also showing his frustration at the Europeans for being unwilling to help him reopen the important waterway.

“The US has the largest and most powerful navy in the world. If the US cannot do it, what difference can the French make, and other Europeans going in?” Parsi said.

“Seeing the Europeans are not willing to be part of this debacle, he is lashing out at them, saying, ‘Look, the US doesn’t need the Strait of Hormuz, it’s you who are hurting from this, and as a result, you will have to deal with this yourself.”

Parsi also said that he is seeing the “Israelisation” of Trump’s goal as the operation goes on.

“The fact that he says that he wants to send Iranians back to the Stone Age is essentially the Israelisation of America’s war aims here.”

31 Mar 2026 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

Israeli strike south of Beirut kills 2, Health Ministry says

The Lebanese Ministry of Health says two people were killed and three others injured in an Israeli air strike that hit a car in the Khalde area, just outside of the capital, Beirut.

31 Mar 2026 - 23:20
 (23:20 GMT)

Iran’s Red Crescent says several areas hit by US-Israeli strikes in last few hours

Several areas in Iran, including the Mobarakeh steel plant in Isfahan, have been hit by US and Israeli air strikes in the last few hours, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).

In a post on X, the IRCS said the following sites have been targeted:

  • Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan
  • Shahid Haghani Port in Bandar Abbas
  • A steel plant in Farokhshahr in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province
  • Bushehr meteorology facilities
  • A residential complex in Malard

The IRCS did not say how many people were killed or injured in the attacks.

According to the organisation, all the listed areas are identified as civilian sites, which are prohibited targets according to international humanitarian law.

Earlier, we reported that a separate steel plant, at the Sefidasht steel complex in Borujen, near Isfahan, was also hit.

31 Mar 2026 - 23:10
 (23:10 GMT)

WATCH: One month on, Lebanon reels from deadly Israeli assaults and displacement

Nearly one month after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel following the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and displaced nearly 20 percent of the population.

Israel launched a ground offensive and issued forced evacuation orders across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese government declared Hezbollah an illegal organisation and demanded that it surrender its weapons.

Israel has blown up bridges, cutting off the south from the rest of the country, as it says it is creating a buffer zone for its national security.

Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto reports from Tyre, Lebanon:

31 Mar 2026 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

Another Iranian steel plant near Isfahan struck

Aside from Iran’s Mobarakeh Steel plant in Isfahan, the Sefidasht steel complex in Borujen was also hit in a strike, according to the Fars news agency.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or the extent of the damage from the attack.

According to Fars, rescue personnel have been immediately deployed to the site, about 110km (68.3 miles) southwest of the city of Isfahan.

31 Mar 2026 - 22:50
 (22:50 GMT)
Houthi

Iraqi armed group claims responsibility for attacks on US bases

The Iraqi armed group Saraya Awliya al-Dam claims responsibility for a series of strikes on US military facilities in the region.

In a statement released on its Telegram channel, the group says it has carried out five attacks on US bases within the past 24 hours.

31 Mar 2026 - 22:40
 (22:40 GMT)
Houthi

Ten drones intercepted and destroyed over Erbil, northern Iraq: Report

Ten drones have been intercepted and destroyed over the city of Erbil in northern Iraq. A government official told the Kurdish news platform Rudaw that the attacks occurred within a single hour.

“All the attacks were carried out by drones, and they were all intercepted and destroyed,” the official stated.

According to Rudaw’s tracking, the total number of drones and missiles directed towards the Kurdish region of northern Iraq since the start of the war has reached approximately 531.

31 Mar 2026 - 22:35
 (22:35 GMT)

Trump says it will take 15 to 20 years for Iran to rebuild

Trump says it will take “15 to 20 years” for Iran to rebuild after the intense US-Israeli strikes.

“We want to knock out every possible thing they have,” he told reporters. “We have set them back. It will take 15 to 20 years for them to rebuild what we’ve done to them.”

“They have no navy. They have no military. They have no air force. They have no telecommunications. They have no anti-aircraft systems. They have no leaders.

“If they come to the table, that will be good. But it doesn’t matter if they come to the table or not,” Trump added.

31 Mar 2026 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)
Houthi

Iraqi armed group claims 23 attacks on US bases

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq says its fighters have carried out 23 operations against US bases in the country and throughout the region over the past day.

It said in a statement that it deployed dozens of drones in the attacks.

31 Mar 2026 - 22:20
 (22:20 GMT)
Houthi

Iranian missiles shift towards strategic targets amid escalating Hezbollah barrages

By Nour Odeh

Reporting from near Ramallah

What we’ve seen is a decrease in the number of Iranian missiles, but an increase in the kind of value of the targets that they’re aimed at.

We saw the oil refinery in Haifa, we saw the chemical plant in Beersheba, we saw a power station, one of the most important ones in Israel, in Hadera earlier, and at the same time, we’ve seen a decrease in the number of Iranian missiles and an increase in potency.

We’ve also seen an increase in the attacks from Hezbollah. Tonight, we saw a large barrage of rockets from Hezbollah targeting Nahariya, Acre, and Haifa as well. We have seen reports of several sites of impact and some areas even affected to the point of losing electricity, at least for a short while, because of those rockets.

So, all of that is happening at the same time while the situation for ordinary Israelis continues. The state of emergency will not be lifted even now, when Israelis are going into the Passover holiday.

31 Mar 2026 - 22:20
 (22:20 GMT)
Houthi

Trump says regime change in Iran was not a goal for US

In remarks from the Oval Office, Trump also said that his goal in the military operation against Iran is “no nuclear weapon”.

“That goal has been attained. They do not have nuclear weapons.”

“Regime change was not a goal,” Trump said.

The president also said earlier in his remarks that the regime in Iran has already been changed.

31 Mar 2026 - 22:13
 (22:13 GMT)
Houthi

Trump: Iran does not have to make deal for US to end war

The US president, speaking at the White House, says the US can end its war on Iran without reaching a negotiated settlement.

31 Mar 2026 - 22:10
 (22:10 GMT)
Analysis

Energy markets should brace for further volatility amid Iran war uncertainty

Neil Quilliam, an analyst with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera he expects greater volatility in energy markets.

Recent decisions by the Trump administration on the Iran conflict, he said, suggest de-escalation may not necessarily be imminent.

“You’ve got 5,000 troops bearing down on the region, threats against Kharg Island, and the Iranians warning of a response, saying they could target water desalination plants and energy infrastructure across the region,” Quilliam said.

“There are plenty of unknowns and a high degree of uncertainty, which will keep prices fluctuating.”

31 Mar 2026 - 22:10
 (22:10 GMT)

Here’s what’s been happening

  • Iran’s Mobarakeh Steel plant in Isfahan has been attacked for the second time in a week, according to the Tasnim news agency.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran’s regional allies no longer pose an existential threat, while acknowledging Iran can still launch drones and missiles.
  • Pope Leo urges US President Donald Trump to seek an “off-ramp” to end the US-Israel war on Iran.
  • Trump has told NBC News that the war is “coming to an end”, saying, “We’re doing great”, without giving a timeline.
  • Iran’s foreign minister has told Al Jazeera that there is “zero” trust in the US and no expectation that talks will yield results.
  • An Israeli strike on a house in al-Najjariya in southern Lebanon has killed at least five people, according to the National News Agency, while our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic reported shelling in Tebnine.
  • Lebanon’s defence minister has condemned comments by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz about destroying border-area homes. Hezbollah says it launched a rocket salvo targeting the Beria base north of Safad.
31 Mar 2026 - 22:08
 (22:08 GMT)
Houthi

Air raid sirens activated in Bahrain

The Ministry of Interior has told people to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place”.

31 Mar 2026 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

Trump pressures NATO allies as tensions rise amid oil price surge

By Alan Fisher

Reporting from Washington, DC

US President Donald Trump’s frustration with NATO allies appears to be intensifying, as he pushes them to take a more active role in the conflict, with criticism reportedly focused on the UK and France.

Spain has also barred the US from using its bases, a decision defended by its defence minister.

The US continues to build up its forces in the region, with no indication of troops being withdrawn, despite calls from Gulf states for a peace deal.

Trump’s frustration with NATO allies is also being driven by rising oil prices in the US, now at their highest level in four years.

31 Mar 2026 - 21:58
 (21:58 GMT)
Houthi

Trump: US to end Iran campaign in ‘two to three weeks’

The US president says the country will wrap up its attacks on Iran in “two to three weeks”.

31 Mar 2026 - 21:50
 (21:50 GMT)
Analysis

US not in control as war drags on

Political analyst Trita Parsi says there has been no fundamental change in Iran’s political system, despite comments from US officials suggesting otherwise.

Speaking about the war, Parsi told Al Jazeera that US claims of progress amount to “an attempt to build a narrative of victory”.

He argued that the war has been “disastrous for the United States” and suggested Washington is not fully in control of events.

Parsi also downplayed the significance of reported communication channels between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. He noted that Witkoff lacks credibility in Iran, and said any ceasefire would likely involve regional actors and require some level of sanctions relief through negotiations.

“The longer this goes on, the worse it will be for the US,” he said.