About 3,000 troops will deploy to the Middle East in response to elevated tensions between the United States and Iran.
The deployments follow several weeks of escalating violence between the U.S. and Iranian-backed militants in the region, including the death of an American contractor and an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. In the wake of the embassy attack, President Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted that the decision to kill Soleimani was triggered by intelligence that revealed an “imminent threat” to Americans in the region if he was not eliminated. Soleimani was one of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s closest confidants, leading the Iranian leader to promise Americans that “severe revenge awaits” for the general’s killing.
The additional 3,000 troops, most of whom come from the 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will join the 650 troops already stationed in the area. The troops are expected to stay for just 60 days as the situation continues to play out, according to NBC News.
The American response in the current conflict has been swift, including the fortification of the U.S. Embassy following the attack in Iraq. It is not yet clear how strong the response from Iran will be, though some have expressed fears that it could lead to another war.
