More than 5,000 American ground-force troops are now positioned in theater. The USS Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, carrying approximately 3,500 Marines with F-35B fighters and amphibious assault assets, arrived in CENTCOM waters over the weekend. Elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, totaling roughly 2,000 soldiers, are forward-deployed at bases in the region. No ground assault has been announced. No Authorization for Use of Military Force has been passed by Congress.

This paper reported last week on the constitutional dimension — the deployment of Marines and paratroopers without congressional authorization, a legal condition that has not changed as the force numbers have grown. The numbers have grown.

The force composition suggests optionality, not commitment. [1] An MEU with amphibious assault assets and 82nd Airborne paratroopers gives the commander in chief the capability to execute a rapid forced entry operation. It does not mean one is planned. Military planners are required to maintain options. The presence of 5,000 ground-force troops is not evidence that a ground assault is imminent. It is evidence that one is possible.

The distinction matters less to Tehran than to Washington. Iran's military planning must account for the ground force capability now positioned in theater. If the deterrence logic holds, the presence of those troops serves a function without ever firing a shot. If it fails, the United States has 5,000 soldiers positioned without a legal framework authorizing their combat use beyond the president's Article II authority. Six Republican senators have called for hearings on war authorization. The hearings have not been scheduled.

-- SAMUEL CRANE, Washington