The Pentagon announced on Friday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered more warplanes and Navy ships to be sent to the Middle East so the US can maintain its presence in the region.
The move from the Pentagon comes as an aircraft carrier strike group is preparing to leave the region. In its place, Austin has ordered additional Ballistic missile defense destroyers, a fighter squadron, tanker aircraft, and several Air Force B-52 long-range strike bombers, press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
“These forces will begin to arrive in coming months as the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group prepares to depart,” Ryder said.
With the changes, it’s unknown how many American troops will be in the region, but there have been as many as 43,000.
The move comes as tensions remain high between Israel and its adversaries. The country has shown no signs of stopping its war with Hamas in Gaza or its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The country has also been fighting with Iran, launching a retaliatory strike last week targeting military bases and weapons production after Tehran fired around 180 missiles at Israel a month ago.
While the White House has called for a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon on numerous occasions, US officials have also said it will continue to defend Israel and US personnel and interests in the region.
This was shown last month when the Pentagon sent around 100 American troops to Israel so they could operate a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System that was given to the country.
The latest move from the Pentagon is notable, as it’s the second time within a month that the United States has ordered warplanes to the Middle East.
“Secretary Austin continues to make clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people,” Ryder said.