The Biden-Harris administration announced Monday that it was preparing to deploy thousands of additional troops to the Middle East — one day after President Joe Biden said that the prospect was off the table.
U.S. forces positioned in the Middle East have been providing continuous support to Israel, which is involved in regional conflicts with multiple Iranian-backed terrorist groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic networks in Iraq and Syria. In light of the elevated threat level, the Pentagon said on Monday that it was bolstering its Middle East presence by deploying a “few thousand” troops to the region, who could help defend Israel if necessary, according to The Associated Press.
The additional troop deployment will be complemented by squadrons of fighter jets, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters on Monday. The troops will also join existing military assets recently positioned in the region. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday directed an aircraft carrier strike group to extend its stay in the Middle East, alongside another strike group.
President Biden responds to a question about the Israeli strikes in Yemen:
“I’ve spoken to both sides. They gotta settle the strike. I’m supporting the collective bargaining effort. I think they’ll settle the strike.” pic.twitter.com/KFJltNNxNw
— The Recount (@therecount) September 30, 2024
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The announcement contradicts what Biden told reporters on Sunday.
“No,” Biden told a reporter in Delaware when asked if he planned to deploy additional troops. He didn’t elaborate but noted he’d soon be speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about regional developments.
The decision to send additional troops to the Middle East comes as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran’s largest terrorist group, rapidly heats up. The two have exchanged blows over the Israel-Lebanon border since last year, but the recent escalation has raised concerns about the conflict growing into a broader regional war.
Israel has conducted a series of targeted attacks and strikes against Hezbollah in recent weeks, killing scores of operatives and destroying weapons and logistic facilities. Israel killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an airstrike on Friday, adding him to the growing list of the terrorist group’s leaders who have been assassinated in the last year.
Biden told reporters from the White House on Monday that he was “more aware than you might know” about developments between Israel and Hezbollah, specifically about reports that Israel may be planning a ground invasion over the border of Lebanon, according to the AP. The Biden-Harris administration is concerned that this would escalate regional tensions and has been seeking diplomatic off-ramps to try to avoid such a possibility.
The Biden-Harris administration’s approach does not appear to have worked, however, as Israel and Hezbollah have shown no signs of de-escalation.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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