EditTrump sends marines to Middle East, signalling prolonged conflict and heightened regional and global risks
The developments underscore what analysts increasingly describe as an attritional conflict likely to drag on for months, if not longer
Israeli forces struck targets in Iran’s capital, Tehran, and Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut on Saturday, as the United States dispatched 2,500 Marines and the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer to the region.
The escalation comes as the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its fourth week, with more than 2,000 people already killed and signs mounting that the conflict is far from over.
Israeli military officials said the Beirut operation targeted the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, which entered the fray on 2 March in support of Tehran. Evacuation warnings were issued for seven neighborhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs ahead of the strikes. In Lebanon alone, more than 1,000 people have died and over one million have been displaced since the spillover began. Simultaneously, fresh Israeli airstrikes hit central Iran and Tehran, prompting retaliatory Iranian missile barrages.
The developments underscore what analysts increasingly describe as an attritional conflict likely to drag on for months, if not longer. Despite President Donald Trump’s assertion on Thursday that the United States is “close to reaching its goals” — degrading Iran’s military capabilities and preventing nuclear weapons development — the multi-front nature of the fighting, combined with Iranian defiance and sustained disruption to global energy flows, points to a protracted war of attrition rather than a swift resolution.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a defiant message during Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz celebrations, vowing unity and resistance after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the war. His statement, which raised questions about his own visibility and condition, signals that Tehran intends to endure rather than capitulate. Hezbollah’s continued involvement creates a second active front, stretching Israeli resources and complicating any quick endgame. Meanwhile, vital energy infrastructure across Iran and neighboring Gulf states has been hit, keeping the Strait of Hormuz – through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes – largely closed to shipping.
Oil prices have surged 50% since the conflict began on 28 February, already threatening global economic stability. United Airlines announced it would cut scheduled flights by 5% in the coming quarters explicitly to account for “prolonged higher oil prices,” a clear market signal that businesses expect the energy shock to persist well beyond any short-term ceasefire. The Trump administration’s temporary 30-day waiver of sanctions to allow the sale of 140 million barrels of stranded Iranian oil, along with similar moves on Russian supplies, reflects urgency to ease pressure – yet also highlights how deeply entrenched the supply disruptions have become.
For the Middle East, the risks of prolongation are severe. The conflict has already spilled across borders, drawing in Hezbollah and raising fears of broader involvement by other Iran-aligned militias or even direct confrontation with Gulf states whose energy facilities remain vulnerable. Lebanon is facing a humanitarian catastrophe, with mass displacement and rising casualties. Any ground operation – something nearly two-thirds of Americans in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll believe Trump will eventually order, even though only 7% support it – could ignite wider regional chaos, including potential refugee waves, sectarian flare-ups, and attacks on critical infrastructure from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.
Beyond the region, the stakes are equally grave. Sustained high energy prices risk tipping major economies into recession, disrupting supply chains and inflating costs worldwide. Strains within NATO are already evident: Trump publicly labelled allies “cowards” for hesitating to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Germany and France have conditioned their support on a halt to fighting.
Japan’s heavy reliance on Hormuz shipments adds an Asian dimension, even as Tehran signals willingness to allow Japanese vessels passage. A drawn-out war also heightens the danger of unintended escalation – whether nuclear proliferation risks if Iran accelerates covert activities, or the possibility that great-power competition could be drawn in as alliances fracture.
U.S. officials insist no decision has been made on committing ground troops, and Trump has repeatedly said he is “not putting troops anywhere.” Yet the deployment of Marines and warships, coupled with the poll findings and market reactions, suggests Washington is bracing for a longer, more unpredictable phase.
Europe, still reeling from the attritional quagmire in Ukraine, now finds itself squeezed between two grinding conflicts, fueling widespread popular discontent over skyrocketing living costs while populist nationalists on the right and left eagerly capitalize on the anger to erode mainstream support.
With Reuters, with additional content by EUalive.
Caption: US President Donald J. Trump, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R), responds to a question from the news media as he walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 20 March 2026. EPA/SHAWN THEW / POOL
Updated: March 21, 2026 - 08:33
