Pentagon Sends More Soldiers to Middle East for Defensive Purposes, Citing Threats in the Region

Flight deck of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, on May 19, 2019. Garrett LaBarge/U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters

A key U.S. Department of Defense official has approved the deployment of extra troops to the Middle East for defensive purposes on June 17.

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan has endorsed a request from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for additional forces.