US to send thousands more troops to Middle East

Deployment will beef up air defence capabilities in the region as Israel reportedly nears launch of incursion into southern Lebanon

A US F-16 during a training mission. AFP

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

The US military is sending several thousand additional troops to the Middle East as it seeks to stop the current Israel-Hezbollah conflict from expanding into a broader regional war, the Pentagon said on Monday.

The deployment will comprise “a few thousand” extra troops who primarily will be supporting additional air assets that are being sent to the region, including F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16s, A-10s and F-22 fighter jets, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

The Department of Defence has “taken steps to further enhance the defence posture of US forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war,” Ms Singh said. “They are there for the protection of US forces. And they are there should they be needed for the defence of Israel.”

The jets were originally intended to rotate in and replace the squadrons already there. Instead, both the existing and new squadrons will remain in place to double the air power on hand. CBS News on Monday cited a US official as saying Israel has told the US it plans to launch a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon, potentially within hours. Ms Singh did not comment on the report.

President Joe Biden meanwhile said he was “more aware than you might know” about Israel launching a limited operation into Lebanon. Mr Biden said he was “comfortable with them stopping” in response to a question about whether he was aware of or comfortable with that situation. “We should have a ceasefire now,” he added.