82nd Airborne Deployment, Israel Threatens Lebanon Invasion, DHS Funding Negotiations
Up First from NPR
Mar 25, 2026
President Trump is mobilizing 3,000 elite paratroopers toward the Persian Gulf, signaling a pivot from diplomatic rhetoric to aggressive military coercion. Simultaneously, Israel’s threat to apply the "Gaza model" to Southern Lebanon marks a brutal new phase of territorial expansion. These escalations coincide with a paralyzed U.S. Congress, where partisan infighting leaves border security agents working without pay.
Key insight: Israel’s defense minister has explicitly threatened to apply the "Gaza model" to Lebanon, aiming to forcibly move the border 20 miles north to the Litani River and occupy the territory.
