Some 5,000 Marines and sailors are deploying to the Middle East to support the war in Iran, three US officials have told the US news outlet NBC. The personnel form a unit that paves the way for future ground missions, NBC reported. They are also trained for crisis response, such as evacuations from dangerous areas, and protecting embassies. CENTCOM requested the additional forces because “part of the plan for this war was to have Marines available to provide options for use”, a US official told