Trump weighs deploying up to 10,000 more troops to Middle East during war with Iran: report

The United States and Iraq have agreed to step up security coordination while working to keep Iraq out of the expanding war with Iran.

In a statement shared on X, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said both sides established a High Joint Coordination Committee and agreed to intensify efforts to prevent terrorist attacks and ensure Iraqi territory is not used as a launch point for attacks against Iraq, U.S. personnel or neighboring countries.

Officials emphasized their shared goal of keeping Iraq “outside the scope of the ongoing military conflict in the region,” while respecting the country’s sovereignty.

The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to counterterrorism cooperation, with an emphasis on Iraqi-led efforts to maintain stability and protect key infrastructure.

The move comes as tensions escalate across the Middle East, raising concerns about the conflict spilling into additional countries.

The U.S. Navy is deploying unmanned boats capable of surveillance and potential strikes as part of operations in the Middle East, according to a Reuters report cited by Stars and Stripes.

The vessels, known as Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC), have logged more than 450 hours at sea and traveled over 2,200 nautical miles during patrols, a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson said.

The high-speed drone boats can carry payloads of up to 1,000 pounds and are designed for missions ranging from intelligence gathering to mine detection and targeting support.

Their deployment comes as the U.S. looks for ways to secure key waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has targeted ships with missiles and drones.

It is not clear whether the unmanned vessels have been used in direct strikes, but officials say they are part of a broader push to expand drone warfare capabilities in the region.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies are showing signs of a quiet but consequential shift in their posture toward Iran, as escalating attacks across the region are testing years of careful balancing between Washington and Tehran.

For much of the past decade, countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sought to avoid direct confrontation with Iran, maintaining diplomatic and economic ties even while relying on U.S. military backing. But that middle ground is increasingly under strain.

That strategy was designed to keep Gulf states out of direct confrontation. But officials and analysts say Iran’s expanding attacks are narrowing the space for neutrality, pushing some Gulf states closer to Washington.

One of the clearest signs of that shift is a reported move by Saudi Arabia to grant U.S. forces access to King Fahd Air Base in Taif, a western facility not used for American combat operations since the Gulf War era.

The shift is also visible across the region. The UAE has severed diplomatic ties with Tehran, shut down Iranian-linked institutions and launched a crackdown on networks tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after a wave of attacks.

Bahrain, meanwhile, led efforts at the United Nations to pass a Security Council resolution condemning Iranian strikes on Gulf states, while multiple countries — including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait — have issued coordinated statements denouncing Iran’s actions and asserting their right to self-defense.

These Gulf states are in line with the U.S. view that Iran's missile development, uranium enrichment programs and support for regional militant groups need to be "addressed and curtailed" but remain opposed to strikes on critical infrastructure inside Iran, a Gulf official told Fox News Digital.

Qatar has also taken concrete steps in response to Iranian attacks, expelling Iranian military and security attachés and ordering them to leave the country after strikes on critical energy infrastructure. However, Qatar has stopped short of severing full diplomatic ties, maintaining its role as a mediator even as tensions rise.

The Qatari prime minister was in Washington for talks focused on defense cooperation and protecting critical energy infrastructure Thursday, an official briefed on the visit told Fox News.

King Fahd Air Base's location, deep inside Saudi territory and farther from Iran’s missile and drone reach, would offer strategic depth the U.S. has not relied on in decades. U.S. military posture in the region has long centered on more exposed bases along the Persian Gulf, including hubs in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Sources familiar with the matter cited in Wall Street Journal reporting said Saudi Arabia agreed to let American forces use the base. The Pentagon and the Saudi embassy declined to comment on the base. Combat aircraft routinely operate "dark" with transponders off in potential combat zones, so they would not appear on civilian flight radar.

Saudi Arabia's tightly controlled media environment also means there are few, if any, independent local reports of U.S. aircraft activity at King Fahd Air Base.

"Our primary concern today is to defend ourselves from the daily attacks on our people and our civilian infrastructure," the Saudi government said in a statement on its posture toward Iran. "Iran has chosen dangerous brinkmanship over serious diplomatic solutions. This harms every stakeholder involved but none more than Iran itself."

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips.

The U.S. can only confirm it has destroyed about one-third of Iran’s missile arsenal, according to sources familiar with U.S. intelligence cited by Reuters and reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Officials say another third of the missiles may have been damaged, destroyed or buried in underground tunnels, but their status remains unclear. Iran is believed to still retain a significant number of operational missiles.

The assessment comes as the U.S.-Israel campaign nears the one-month mark and highlights the difficulty of tracking weapons stored in hardened bunkers and tunnel networks.

It also contrasts with President Donald Trump’s recent claim that Iran has “very few rockets left,” even as Tehran continues launching missiles and drones across the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a new defense cooperation agreement with Mohammed bin Salman, saying the deal will expand technological collaboration and strengthen joint security efforts.

Zelenskyy said the arrangement between Ukraine’s and Saudi Arabia’s defense ministries “lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation, and investment.”

He also linked Ukraine’s battlefield experience to current tensions in the Middle East, noting Ukrainians have faced “the same kind of terrorist attacks — ballistic missiles and drones — that the Iranian regime is currently carrying out” across the region.

The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv is prepared to share its defense expertise while also benefiting from Saudi capabilities, calling the partnership “mutually beneficial.”

Zelenskyy added that discussions with Saudi leadership also covered broader regional developments, including the war involving Iran, energy markets and Russia’s ties to Tehran.

A total of 303 U.S. service members have been wounded since the start of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

More than 75% of those injuries are tied to traumatic brain injuries (TBI), CENTCOM spokesperson Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News.

Officials said the TBIs range from mild concussions that can sideline troops for a short period to symptoms that may not appear for several days, making them more difficult to track.

The update comes as U.S. forces continue operations across the Middle East amid ongoing strikes against Iranian targets and retaliatory attacks in the region.

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this reporting.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday the U.S. expects its war against Iran to conclude in a matter of “weeks, not months,” arguing American forces are already ahead of schedule in achieving key objectives.

Speaking to reporters after meetings with G7 foreign ministers in France, Rubio said the U.S. has made significant progress in degrading Iran’s military capabilities, including its missile and drone programs, as well as its navy and air force, according to Reuters.

“We are ahead of schedule on most of them, and we can achieve them without any ground troops,” Rubio said.

His comments come as the Pentagon weighs additional troop deployments to the region, including up to 10,000 more forces, though Rubio said those moves are intended to give President Donald Trump flexibility if conditions change, Reuters reported.

“The president has to be prepared for multiple contingencies,” Rubio said.

The Israeli Air Force launched targeted strikes Friday against a heavy water plant in central Iran described by Israel’s military as a “key plutonium production site for nuclear weapons” for the regime. 

“A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force, acting on IDF intelligence, struck the heavy water plant in Arak, central Iran,” the IDF said, noting that reconstruction activity was observed at the site.  

“Heavy water is a unique material used to operate nuclear reactors, such as the inactive Arak reactor, which was originally designed to have weapons-grade plutonium production capabilities. These materials can also be used as a neutron source for nuclear weapons,” it said. 

The IDF also said the plant was a significant economic asset for Iran’s terror regime and "served as a source of income for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, generating tens of millions of dollars for the regime each year.” 

Israel said the plant was previously hit during Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, and “since then, repeated reconstruction attempts by the Iranian terror regime have been identified.” 

“Therefore, the IDF has now struck the facility once again,” the IDF added. 

Israel also said Friday that it hit a uranium extraction plant in Yazd, Iran. 

“This plant is the only one of its kind in Iran, where raw materials mined from the earth undergo mechanical and chemical processing so that they can later be used as raw materials for uranium enrichment,” according to the IDF. 

A statement released by G7 foreign ministers Friday following a meeting in France said there is “no justification for the deliberate targeting of civilians in situations of armed conflict as well as attacks on diplomatic facilities.”

“We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, met under France’s G7 Presidency, at Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay, France from March 26 to 27, 2026,” the statement read. “We discussed the situation in Iran and the region."

“We underscored the importance of minimizing the impact of the conflict on regional partners and civilian populations, critical infrastructure -- and the need to coordinate humanitarian aid efforts,” the statement continued. “We call upon an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. There can be no justification for the deliberate targeting of civilians in situations of armed conflict as well as attacks on diplomatic facilities.”

The Iranian regime has been launching attacks on its neighbors in the Middle East for weeks now following the launch of the joint U.S.-Israel military campaign.

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that it uncovered “anti-tank rockets, mortar shells, grenades, launchers, light firearms, explosives and more” belonging to Hezbollah inside a school in southern Lebanon. 

The reported discovery was made in the area of Al-Khiyam, where the IDF earlier said its soldiers discovered “active Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure within the vicinity of a church” 

“All of this was found alongside UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] markings of the United Nations,” the IDF added. 

The terrorist group Hezbollah has coordinated with Iran in attacks against Israel since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion on Feb. 28. 

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies are showing signs of a quiet but consequential shift in their posture toward Iran, as escalating attacks across the region test years of careful balancing between Washington and Tehran.

For much of the past decade, countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sought to avoid direct confrontation with Iran, maintaining diplomatic and economic ties even while relying on U.S. security guarantees. But that middle ground is increasingly under strain.

That strategy was designed to keep Gulf states out of direct confrontation. But officials and analysts say Iran’s expanding attacks are narrowing the space for neutrality, pushing some Gulf states closer to Washington.

One of the clearest signs of that shift is a reported move by Saudi Arabia to grant U.S. forces access to King Fahd Air Base in Taif, a western facility not used for American combat operations since the Gulf War era.

The shift is also visible across the region. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has severed diplomatic ties with Tehran, shut down Iranian-linked institutions and launched a crackdown on networks tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following a wave of attacks.

The FBI said Friday that "malicious actors" targeted Director Kash Patel's personal email, as an Iran-based hacking group claimed responsibility. The State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of the Handala Hack team in Iran.

"The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity," an FBI spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. "The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information."

"The Department of State's Rewards for Justice program offers up to a $10 million reward for information leading to the identification of the Handala Hack Team out of Iran – a group that has frequently targeted U.S. government officials. Consistent with President Trump's Cyber Strategy for America, the FBI will continue to pursue the actors responsible, support victims, and share actionable intelligence in defense of networks," the statement added. "We encourage anyone who experiences a cyber breach, or has information related to malicious cyber activity, to contact their local FBI field office.”

The FBI noted that no government information was impacted and the investigation is ongoing. The Handala Hack Team is claiming responsibility.

This comes after the Department of Justice just seized domains part of the group's operation on March 19 during "an ongoing effort to disrupt hacking and transnational repression schemes conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS)."

The DOJ said seized domains "were used by the MOIS in furtherance of attempted psychological operations targeting adversaries of the regime by claiming credit for hacking activity, posting sensitive data stolen during such hacks, and calling for the killing of journalists, regime dissidents, and Israeli persons.

Fox News' David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

A total of 303 American troops have been wounded during Operation Epic Fury against Iran. 

"The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 273 troops have returned to duty," Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told Fox News on Friday.

Earlier in the week, Hawkins said 290 U.S. service members were injured. 

The U.S. military operation, which was launched Feb. 28, also has resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members.   

Six service members were killed in a March 1 Iranian drone attack in Kuwait, while another service member died of injuries suffered during an Iranian attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on the same day. 

On March 12, another six service members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during a combat mission in support of Operation Epic Fury.   

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.

The Kuwait Ports Authority said Friday that its Shuwaikh Port "was subjected to an attack by hostile drones with no human casualties."

The agency describes the port as Kuwait's "main commercial port," located in the Shuwaikh Industrial Area outside of Kuwait City. 

The port "serves as a vital hub for storing and distributing goods, as well as accommodating commercial ships, making it a cornerstone of the country’s maritime trade," the Kuwait Ports Authority added.

Iran has been targeting its neighbors across the Middle East and threatening maritime travel in the Persian Gulf during Operation Epic Fury.

The Israel Defense Forces said its soldiers discovered “active Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure within the vicinity of a church” in southern Lebanon. 

During searches in the area of Al-Khiyam, the troops “exposed and located a tunnel shaft and an underground infrastructure constructed within the church vicinity.” 

“This combat zone, which the Hezbollah terrorist organization used for military activity, was first located by IDF troops in December 2024 and was then cleared of weapons and terrorists,” the IDF said. “During the current searches in the vicinity, the soldiers located three additional shafts constructed by Hezbollah during the ceasefire, indicating renewed use of the site.” 

“The repeated use of this site demonstrates Hezbollah’s systematic modus operandi of exploiting Lebanese civilians as human shields and deliberately embedding military infrastructure within religious sites and civilian areas,” it added. 

Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this report. 

The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems intercepted on Friday “6 ballistic missiles and 9 UAVs launched from Iran.” 

“Since the start of the blatant Iranian attacks, UAE air defenses have engaged 378 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,835 UAVs,” the country’s Ministry of Defense wrote on X. 

“The Ministry of Defense affirmed that it remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country, in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability and safeguards its interests and national capabilities,” it also said. 

The UAE is one of several countries in the Middle East that has had to repel attacks from Iran following the launch of the joint U.S.-Israel military campaign on Feb. 28.

U.S. Central Command released a new video Friday showing a wave of American strikes on Iran, saying "U.S. forces continue to eliminate the Iranian regime’s ability to project military power beyond its borders." 

CENTCOM said Thursday that American forces have hit more than 10,000 targets since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28. 

The military campaign is on its 28th day as of Friday. 

“Since the commencement of Operation Epic Fury, 92% of the large ships in the Iranian Navy have been eliminated,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper added. 

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz warned the regime in Tehran Friday that “IDF strikes in Iran will move up a level and expand to additional targets.” 

He said Israel Defense Forces “activity in Iran against security and military targets continues without pause.” 

“We will continue to hunt the leaders and commanders of the terror regime and destroy its strategic capabilities,” Katz added. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I warned the Iranian terror regime to stop the missile fire toward the civilian population in Israel.” 

“Despite the warnings, the fire continues — and therefore, IDF strikes in Iran will move up a level and expand to additional targets and areas that assist the regime in the construction and operation of weaponry against the citizens of Israel,” he also said. “They will pay heavy and increasing prices for this war crime.” 

Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this report. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in France on Friday to attend the G7 foreign ministers' meeting where he will deliver a clear message on U.S. priorities for the ongoing war with Iran.

In the days leading up to the meeting, other members have taken markedly different approaches to the war. Nearly all of Washington’s partners — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — have reacted cautiously to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign and declined to participate in offensive operations, even as they condemn Iranian actions.

Before departing on Thursday, Rubio signaled a defiant approach to the talks: "I don’t work for France or Germany or Japan … the people I’m interested in making happy are the people of the United States. I work for them," he said in a video posted on X.

The divergence has drawn frustration from President Donald Trump, who has pressed allies to contribute more, particularly in securing key maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. While some countries have signaled a willingness to support defensive or maritime security efforts, they have stopped short of joining direct military strikes.

"The U.S. is constantly asked to help in wars, and we have. But when we had a need, it didn’t get positive responses from NATO. A couple leaders said that Iran was not Europe’s war. Well, Ukraine isn’t our war, yet we’ve contributed more to that fight than anyone," Rubio added.

"The Strait of Hormuz could be open tomorrow if Iran stops threatening global shipping, which is an outrage and a violation of international law. For all these countries that care about international law, they should be doing something about it," he said before boarding his plane to France.

The Qatari prime minister and foreign affairs minister met in Washington, D.C., with Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the Middle Eastern nation confirmed Friday.

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani discussed "the close strategic cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United States and explored ways to further strengthen it across various fields, particularly in the area of defense partnership in light of current regional developments, in a manner that serves the shared interests of the two countries," according to the state-run Qatar News Agency (QNA).

Since Operation Epic Fury began, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks impacting Qatar as part of the regime's broader retaliation against the U.S. and allied actions in the conflict.

The Qatar News Agency (QNA) said "discussions also covered developments in global energy markets, with both sides underscoring the importance of ensuring the sustainability of energy supplies and maintaining the continued flow of liquefied natural gas from the State of Qatar to global markets, thereby supporting global energy security."

“For his part, the U.S. Vice President praised the robust strategic partnership between the two countries, hailing the State of Qatar's active role in promoting regional stability and enhancing global energy security,” it added.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz says that the U.S. is "unquestionably winning the war" with Iran.

And the conservative firebrand and three-term senator from Texas tells Fox News Digital that, in his opinion, President Donald Trump's "decision to launch this military action is the most consequential decision" of his presidency.

"If you look at how our military has carried out this action, it has been an incredible success," Cruz emphasized in an interview this week.

But many Americans don't agree with the senator's reading on the nearly month-long strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.

Several new national surveys released this week, including a new Fox News poll, indicate that most Americans give the military strikes a thumbs down. But the surveys point to a continued broad partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans over the ongoing fighting in the volatile Middle East.

The military attacks by the U.S. and Israel have resulted in the deaths of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, and the decimation of the country's military.

The Israeli military reportedly said Friday that it completed a wide scale wave of strikes overnight "in the heart of Iran."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck dozens of military industries, launch sites and operatives from the missile array in Tehran.

Acting on IDF intelligence, the Israeli Air Force "completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure belonging to the Iranian terror regime," the IDF said. It added that the strikes "further degraded production capabilities and struck dozens of weapons production sites."

Among the sites targeted were “a base used by the Iranian army to train operatives and store missile systems intended to target aircraft,” "a site for the manufacturing and development of ballistic missile components,” "a site for manufacturing batteries for weapons," and a "weapons production site" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IDF said.

“Overnight, a staging and launch complex of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was struck, along with ballistic missile launch sites, air defense systems, and observation posts belonging to both the IRGC and the Iranian military,” according to the IDF. “In addition, the IDF identified several operatives from the ballistic missile array operating from a military structure in Tehran. Minutes after the identification, the Israeli Air Force struck and eliminated the terrorists who were planning to advance launches against the State of Israel.”

The IDF also said in a post on X Friday that it hit the "Iranian Regime’s primary facility for the productions of missiles and sea mines in Yazd, Iran."

"The site was used for the planning, development, assembly, and storage of advanced missiles intended for launch from cruise platforms, submarines, and helicopters toward both mobile and stationary maritime targets," it said.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump confirmed he was placing a hold on strikes against Iran’s energy sector for another 10 days, until April 6. The pause is intended to allow time for ceasefire negotiations to take place.

Fox News’ Emma Bussey, Yael Rotem-Kuriel and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East, a senior defense official said Thursday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While the official said it was not yet clear which units would be mobilized, the new deployment would be in addition to the 1,500 troops deployed from the 82nd Airborne.

Earlier Thursday, President Donald Trump confirmed he was placing a hold on strikes against Iran’s energy sector for another 10 days, until April 6. The pause is intended to allow time for ceasefire negotiations to take place.

Pakistan is reportedly mediating the talks between the two nations.