US reinforces Middle East military presence as Trump weighs expanding Iran conflict - report
Wall Street Journal reports additional troops, aircraft and medical personnel are being deployed to give the White House broader military options
The United States is moving additional military assets into the Middle East as President Trump considers broader action against Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The buildup includes special operations personnel, fighter jets, aerial refueling aircraft and long-range bombers, the report said, citing US officials and people familiar with the deployments. B-1 bombers stationed in Britain have been placed on alert, while F-16s from Germany and F-35s from England have been sent toward the region.
Cargo flights have also departed US bases used by special operations forces. Those units can carry out a range of missions, including combat search and rescue.
At the same time, more than 150 medical personnel have been sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the main facility for treating US troops wounded in Middle East operations.
The US already has tens of thousands of troops in the region, along with two aircraft carrier strike groups, 17 naval vessels and a Marine expeditionary unit, according to the report.
The reinforcement comes as Trump intensifies his warnings against Tehran and weighs possible strikes on additional Iranian targets. The White House said the president “always has all options at his disposal.”
The expanded deployment could also give Washington greater capacity to respond to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, who have threatened Saudi-linked shipping and claimed attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Retired Gen. Joseph Votel, a former commander of US Central Command, told the Journal that the buildup is intended to give the president and defense secretary greater flexibility rather than signal that a major operation is certain.