US elite airborne division abruptly cancels training... Deploying to Iran?

Korea Economic Daily

Summary

The US Army has abruptly cancelled large-scale training for the core headquarters unit of the 82nd Airborne Division, prompting speculation that it could be deployed to a ground war with Iran.
Sources said plans for a Middle East deployment of the 82nd Airborne Division’s helicopter unit will be announced soon, with the actual deployment to take place in late spring.
The US military said that over the past week it has attacked Iran’s missile arsenals, drones, and naval vessels, conducting direct flights over Iranian airspace with fighter jets and bombers.

Forecast Trend Report by Period

As the US Army recently and abruptly cancelled large-scale training for the headquarters element of its top-tier airborne unit, speculation is growing that the force could be committed to a ground war with Iran.

According to The Washington Post (WP) on the 6th (local time), training was suddenly cancelled for the key headquarters unit within the 82nd Airborne Division, which coordinates operational planning and execution for ground combat and special missions. Other soldiers in the division are training in Louisiana, but the headquarters personnel were instructed to remain at their home base in North Carolina instead of participating.

Sources said the Army is expected to announce plans soon to deploy a helicopter unit from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, with the actual deployment to take place in late spring. However, as of that day, no official deployment order had been issued.

WP also noted that, given the symbolic role the 82nd Airborne Division has played in past conflicts, there is speculation that the division’s Immediate Response Force (IRF) could be tapped. The IRF was deployed for the 2020 killing of Iran’s power broker Soleimani, the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal operation, and the defense of the Eastern Europe front just before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The US Department of Defense declined to disclose details regarding reports of a deployment by the elite airborne division, saying, "For operational security reasons, we do not comment on future movements or hypothetical movements."

US President Donald Trump has previously drawn a line by saying that US ground forces "probably won't be necessary" for military operations against Iran. Even so, he did not completely rule out the possibility of deployment.

Over the past week, US forces have carried out attacks centered on airstrike operations, targeting Iran’s missile arsenals, drones, and naval vessels. They have been flying directly over Iranian airspace with fighter jets and bombers to drop bombs.

Lee Seul-gi, Hankyung.com reporter seulkee@hankyung.com