The U.S. military abruptly canceled a major training exercise for an elite paratrooper unit, The Washington Post reports. “The Army abruptly canceled a major training exercise, officials said, fueling speculation within the Defense Department that soldiers specializing in ground combat and a range of other missions may be sent to the Middle East,” the outlet wrote. Breaking news: The Army abruptly canceled a major training exercise, officials said, fueling speculation within the Defense Department that soldiers specializing in ground combat and a range of other missions may be sent to the Middle East. https://t.co/1nuTFn8acH — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 6, 2026 More from The Washington Post: The 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in North Carolina includes a brigade combat team of about 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers ready to deploy on 18 hours notice for missions as varied as seizing airfields and other critical infrastructure, reinforcing U.S. embassies and enabling emergency evacuations. Its headquarters element is responsible for coordinating how those operations are planned and executed. No deployment orders had been issued as of Friday, officials said, speaking like some others on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation. They noted that the Army is expected to announce soon a previously scheduled Middle East deployment for a helicopter unit with the 82nd, but that won’t happen until later in the spring. Other soldiers with the 82nd continued training in Louisiana in recent days. But the unexpected change of plans for the headquarters staff — the unit was told to stay put in North Carolina instead of joining the training event at Fort Polk in Louisiana — and the 82nd’s high-profile role in past conflicts has heightened expectations that the division’s Immediate Response Force could be called upon. Meanwhile, some Iranian officials said they are “confident” they can withstand a U.S. ground invasion. “We are confident that we can confront them, and it will be a big disaster for them,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday. Watch below: NOW – Reporter: "Are you afraid of a U.S. invasion in your country?"Araghchi: "No, we are waiting for them."Reporter: "You are waiting for the U.S. military to invade, the ground troops?!"Araghchi: "Yes!" pic.twitter.com/0L0cNXLopd — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) March 5, 2026 The Hill shared further: Iranian and U.S. representatives last met for negotiations on a new nuclear agreement on Feb. 26, less than 48 hours before the U.S. military launched Operation Epic Fury. The joint strikes on Saturday killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and multiple military leaders. Iran’s military retaliated with targeted drone strikes on Israel and Gulf states, killing six U.S. service members in Kuwait. The foreign minister waved aside concerns that Iran could target the U.S. homeland, saying the country’s military is focused on targeting American military bases in the Middle East. “They have enough soldiers, they have enough military assets, they have enough military bases and military installations, so we don’t need to go beyond that,” he said.