US orders 2,500 marines and assault ship to Middle East as crisis worsens

In an interview with Fox News, US president Donald Trump said the war would end 'when I feel it in my bones'

Rescue workers search for survivors in the rubble after a strike in southern Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Sajjad Safari)

The American military has ordered 2,500 marines and an amphibious assault ship to the Middle East, a US official said in a major addition of forces in the region after nearly two weeks of war with Iran.

Meanwhile in the Iranian capital, a large explosion rocked a central square where thousands were gathered for an annual state-organised rally to support the Palestinians and call for Israel’s demise.