Trump sends 2,000 paratroopers to Middle East as Tehran dares them to ‘come closer’ (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

Tehran has denied “fake news” of talks with Washington, accusing the US president of trying to “manipulate oil markets”

The Pentagon has officially issued orders for approximately 2,000 elite troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to deploy within “striking distance” of Iran, according to US officials cited by the Washington Post and the New York Times.

The contingent reportedly includes the division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, the core part of the Immediate Response Force trained to deploy within 18 hours for missions including seizing airfields, reinforcing embassies, and enabling evacuations.

An additional 2,500 Marines are scheduled to arrive later this week to reinforce any potential ground operation, which the media has long speculated could include seizing Iran’s main oil export hub on Kharg Island.

Tehran’s senior military adviser Ali-Akbar Ahmadian has previously dared American soldiers to just “come closer,” warning that Iranian armed forces have “trained in asymmetrical warfare” for decades.

In the meantime, US President Donald Trump is reportedly seeking an “offramp” from the war with Iran with a list of 15 peace proposals – while Tehran has rejected holding any backchannel talks with Washington.

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Here are the latest developments:

• President Trump claimed the US has already “won” and ongoing diplomatic talks with Iran are the reason why he postponed military strikes on Iranian power plants for five days.

• Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that Trump’s 15-point proposal demands that Iran dismantle its nuclear and missile programs, abandon its regional proxy network, and open the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted maritime passage. In exchange, Tehran would allegedly receive a full lifting of international sanctions, assistance with its civilian nuclear program, and the removal of the “snapback” sanction mechanism.

• “We negotiate with bombs,” US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said about the Pentagon's role in the alleged behind-the-scenes talks.

• Tehran has denied that talks with the US are taking place, with Iran’s parliamentary speaker saying such claims are “fake news” and are being “used to manipulate financial and oil markets.” Oil prices fell more than 5% on Wednesday morning.

Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.