▲ Crew members of the USS Abraham Lincoln (File Photo)
The U.S. daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Donald Trump's administration is showing signs of effectively continuing the war against Iran into next year.
According to sources familiar with the matter, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has recently and quietly begun steps to extend the deployment periods of U.S. forces in the Middle East without a separate public announcement.
Currently, 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the Middle East—including 19 warships, air defense units, fighter jet squadrons, and airborne units—and these sources stated that the Pentagon's prevailing sentiment is to extend their deployment effectively through next year.
In fact, according to a letter verified by the WSJ, top U.S. military leadership recently notified military families that some personnel from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division could remain in the Middle East until 2027.
The WSJ noted that this is a signal indicating the current war could stretch into next year.
Initially, the United States stated its policy to avoid long-term involvement in the war against Iran and to wrap up operations swiftly.
However, a peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran remains distant even now, six months after the outbreak of the war, with both sides continuing armed clashes centered around the Strait of Hormuz.
According to U.S. media reports, President Trump was briefed last month on operations such as bombing Pickaxe Mountain, where Iran's nuclear facilities are reportedly hidden, and deploying additional ground troops to Iran.
U.S. forces in the Middle East are also known to be prepared to launch attacks at any time depending on President Trump's choice.
Previously, when asked by reporters at the White House how long renewed strikes on Iran would last, President Trump answered, "We are ready to launch another strike whenever we want."
However, concerns are rising that the overly prolonged deployments could dampen troop morale.
For Army air defense unit members tasked with defending against Iranian missiles and drones, standard deployment periods have already been extended from nine to 12 months.
Navy personnel are also reaching their limits as they carry out long-term maritime blockade missions against Iran.
On the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, currently returning home via the port of Laem Chabang in Thailand, criticisms have been raised regarding poor mental health management for the crew.
Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S. think tank, told the WSJ, "Extending deployment periods not only delays equipment maintenance and accumulates fatigue among troops, but it could also disrupt the U.S. military's force modernization plans."
Additionally, the dwindling of arsenals due to pouring firepower into striking Iran is another dilemma facing the U.S. military.
In this situation, a prolonged deployment could bring multi-year equipment repair issues to the surface.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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