USS Tripoli, 31st MEU Heading to the Middle East

Mallory Shelbourne
March 13, 2026 3:18 PM


America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) arrives at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach May 20, 2025. US Navy Photo

Big deck amphibious warship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and its embarked Marines are heading to the Middle East as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran enters its third week, two defense officials confirmed to USNI News. ... Amphibious assault ship Tripoli and elements of the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit will join the Gerald R. Ford and Abraham Lincoln carrier strike groups that have been operating in the region.

Tripoli was operating in the Philippine Sea earlier this week with USS San Diego (LPD-22) and USS New Orleans (LPD-18), according to the March 9 USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker. The three ships make up the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group. It’s unclear whether all three ships are heading to the Middle East, or if Tripoli will go on its own. Ship spotters identified Tripoli sailing alone south of Taiwan heading through the Luzon Strait on Thursday.

The 31st MEU recently participated in Iron Fist, a yearly exercise that the U.S. Marine Corps performs with Japan. Before the drills in the Japanese islands, the 31st MEU “achieved full certification” in February, according to a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command news release issued this week.

The 31st MEU is based in Okinawa, Japan, while Tripoli is homeported in Sasebo, Japan. The three ships and the MEU are part of the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed presence in Japan. The entire MEU includes about 2,200 Marines, in addition to the sailors aboard the amphibious ships.

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