"US to Withdraw Marine Rapid Response Force from Mediterranean as NATO Assumes Command"
The US is expected to reduce its forces in the Middle East by removing the Marine rapid response force from the eastern Mediterranean Sea, marking a significant reduction in its presence in the region. The move comes as Iranian proxies in the region have halted their attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria, and the need for an evacuation of American citizens has not materialized. The USS Bataan amphibious ready group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are anticipated to return to the US, leaving the region without a warship capable of operating fighter jets for the first time since October.