Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Saturday that there is no need for extra United States military forces in the Persian Gulf region — despite the threat of terrorism from Iran.
“I do not see any need to increase the number of forces we have in the Middle East at this time,” Mattis said at a news conference in Tokyo.
The comments from Mattis — who was making his first foreign trip as defense secretary to Japan and South Korea — come after President Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn said the U.S was putting Iran “on notice.”
Following a recent missile test, the Trump administration imposed new economic sanctions against 25 Iranians and companies. However, no additional military steps have been announced.
Mattis confirmed that the U.S. is concerned about Iran’s behavior — “it is getting the attention of a lot of people” — but said that he does not think “that it is necessary” to add more military resources.
The new defense secretary also said that there will be no more military presence added to the South China Sea, a hotly contested area where a tense situation is exacerbated by Chinese military buildup.
“What we have to do is exhaust all diplomatic efforts to try to resolve this properly,” he said.
