700 US Marines to be Deployed to Counter Protests in Los Angeles

TEHRAN (Defapress) - According to Al Jazeera, amid escalating unrest in Los Angeles, the U.S. military announced that it has deployed 700 Marines to the city to protect federal personnel and facilities.

The Department of Defense confirmed the move, citing increased threats against law enforcement and government buildings.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth emphasized that the federal government is obligated to protect federal law enforcement, even if California Governor Gavin Newsom does not take action.

Meanwhile, Governor Newsom responded to these developments by describing the federal government’s deployment of Marines to the state as "the product of a delusional dictator president’s imagination."

Criticizing the federal approach, Newsom stated that he has held meetings with local and state officials in recent days to explore solutions for restoring calm in Los Angeles.

"State and local leaders are working together to clean up the chaos Trump has created," Newsom said, adding that the goal of these efforts is to restore security to local communities and repair damages.

In an interview with The New York Times, Newsom also characterized the deployment of Marines to Los Angeles as an attempt by President Trump to "further stoke fear, anger, and division" in society.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Northern Command stressed that the deployed forces have been trained to "de-escalate tensions and prevent conflict."

The command stated that the primary objective of the deployment is to support the National Guard stationed in Los Angeles.

At the same time, Florida’s Attorney General voiced support for Trump’s immigration policies, declaring that the state "will not allow anti-immigration police chaos, similar to what happened in Los Angeles, to occur in Florida."

He also announced the allocation of significant resources to fully implement the federal government’s immigration programs.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) commented on the matter, stating that it "has not received any official notification regarding the arrival of Marines."

The department added that the potential entry of Marine forces would pose "a significant logistical and operational challenge."