The United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East by deploying "a few thousand" additional troops, according to the Pentagon. This move involves both new units and the extension of existing ones. The heightened U.S. military presence in the region coincides with the escalating Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which saw Israel assassinate Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, last week, sparking concerns of a broader regional war.
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh informed journalists on Monday that "a certain number of units already deployed to the Middle East region...will be extended, and the forces scheduled to rotate into the theater to replace them will now instead augment" those already present. Singh detailed that these augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F-22 fighter aircraft and their associated personnel. She further noted that this will result in "an additional few thousand" personnel being stationed in the region.
On the same day, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed support for his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, in "dismantling attack infrastructure" belonging to Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon. Austin also cautioned Iran of "serious consequences" if it directly retaliates against Israel in response to its attacks on the Tehran-backed militant group. The following day, Israel announced that Gallant had briefed Austin on "localized and targeted" incursions aimed at Hezbollah positions in South Lebanon—a significant escalation following a week of intense air strikes that resulted in hundreds of casualties.
