Washington, March 31 -- Amid rising speculation over a possible US ground operation against Iran, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, carrying nearly 1,800 Marines, has been deployed to the Indian Ocean, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a social media post.
A photograph released by CENTCOM showed the 45,000-ton warship sailing in the Indian Ocean on Sunday, though its exact distance from Iran was not disclosed.
The Tripoli is embarked with troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, according to images posted on March 26 by the US Defense Department. The visuals showed Marines engaged in a "ship defense exercise."According to US Navy data, the vessel can carry around 1,850 Marines along with a crew of about 1,200 sailors. Sup...