Pentagon mulling US military request to send 5,000 troops to Middle East: Officials
The Pentagon
TheUSDepartment of Defense is considering aUSmilitaryrequest tosendabout5,000additional troops to theMiddleEastamid increasing tensions with Iran, twoUSofficialstold Reuters on Wednesday.
Tehran and Washington have this month been escalating rhetoric against each other, followingUSPresident Donald Trump's decision to try to cut Iran's oil exports to zero and beef up theUSmilitarypresence in the Gulf in response to what he said were Iranian threats.
Theofficials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the request had been made byUSCentral Command, but added that it was not clear whether thePentagonwould approve the request.
ThePentagonregularly receives - and declines - requests for additional resources fromUScombatant commands throughout the world.
One of theofficialssaid the requestedtroopswould be defensive in nature.
It is unclear if any specific request will ultimately be presented to the White House. The request for5,000additionaltroopswas first reported by Reuters.
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This appeared to be the latest request for additional resources in the face of whatUS officialshave said are credible threats from Iran againstUS forces and American interests in theMiddleEast.
The United States has not publicly shown any evidence of what the specific intelligence on the Iranian threat is.
ThePentagondeclined to comment.
"As a matter of longstanding policy, we are not going to discussor speculate on potential future plans and requests for forces," Commander Rebecca Rebarich, aPentagonspokeswoman, said on Wednesday.
ActingUS Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Tuesday that while threats from Iran in theMiddleEastremained high, deterrence measures taken by thePentagonhad "put on hold" the potential for attacks on Americans.
TheUS militaryaccelerated the deployment of a carrier strike group to theMiddleEast and sent bombers and Patriot missiles to the region earlier this month in response to what Washington said were troubling indications of possible preparations for an attack by Iran.
The USgovernment sources told Reuters last week they believe Iran encouraged Houthi militants or Iraq-based Shi'ite militias to carry out attacks on tanker ships off the United Arab Emirates.
Trump has warned that Iran would be met with "great force" if it attackedUSinterests in theMiddleEast.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Iran's youth will witness the demise of Israel and American civilization.