US to Send More Troops to Middle East as Tensions Escalate

The US will deploy additional troops to the Middle East as hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon intensify.

While specific details were not disclosed for security reasons, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed on Monday that a small contingent of US military personnel will reinforce the approximately 40,000 troops already stationed in the region.

“In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region,” Ryder said. “But for operational security reasons, I’m not going to comment on or provide specifics.”

Meanwhile, the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group embarked this weekend on a scheduled deployment to the Sixth Fleet’s area of operations in Europe. Should the situation deteriorate further, the Truman would be close enough to assist the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is patrolling the Arabian Gulf.

On the diplomatic front, a senior State Department official told the Associated Press that the US has developed “concrete ideas” aimed at de-escalating the situation along the Israel-Lebanon border. These proposals are slated for presentation to allies during the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York.

Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video message urging Lebanese civilians to evacuate their homes as Israeli warplanes targeted Hezbollah positions in southern and eastern parts of the country.

Some 1,600 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon were reportedly targeted, including many civilian homes said to be housing missiles.

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