WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will send an additional 900 US forces to the Middle East and extend the term of 600 more already deployed in the region, White House and Defense Department officials said today. The move is a part of force protection efforts meant to deter potential attacks by Iran or its proxies against US forces and partners in the region.
“We’re going to be sending a relatively small number of troops, mostly protective,” President Donald Trump told journalists today as he left the White House to travel to Japan. “Some very talented people are going to the Middle East now and … we’ll see what happens. It’ll be about 1,500 people.”