The Pentagon has announced that the United States will deploy several thousand additional troops to the Middle East to strengthen security and defend Israel if required.
This move comes amid escalating tensions, with Israel already conducting limited raids across the border into Lebanon.
The new deployment will bring the total number of US forces in the region to around 43,000. According to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, the increased presence will include multiple squadrons of fighter jets and attack aircraft. “This includes a small number of additional troops to augment our presence as well,” Singh stated during a briefing, according to a report by Associated Press.
The decision follows recent airstrikes in Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, which have significantly heightened the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The deployment will feature squadrons of F-15E, F-16, and F-22 fighter jets, as well as A-10 attack aircraft, along with the necessary support personnel. Initially, the plan was to rotate the new squadrons with the ones already stationed in the region, but now both groups will remain in place, effectively doubling the US airpower available.
On Sunday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the temporary extension of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Middle East. “The extension is expected to last about a month,” a US official disclosed. Another carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, is also en route and will bolster the US naval presence in the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, at the White House, President Joe Biden responded to reports of a potential Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon, saying, “I’m more aware than you might know…We should have a cease-fire now”, as reported by AP.
Biden emphasised his desire for an immediate halt to hostilities after nearly a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
(with inputs from AP)
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