Biden-Harris Administration to Send New Wave of US Troops to Middle East
As Israel unleashed another round of forceful strikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, the Biden administration, through President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, revealed plans to deploy additional U.S. troops to the Middle East.
Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder did not disclose specifics regarding the scale or mission of the deployment, according to The Associated Press.
“Due to the heightened tension in the Middle East and exercising an abundance of caution, we are sending a limited number of additional U.S. military personnel to support our existing forces in the region,” Ryder stated. “However, for operational security reasons, I will not provide further details.”
Ryder also mentioned, according to The Hill, that these troops will be ground forces.
Currently, the U.S. has approximately 40,000 military personnel stationed in the region, according to the AP.
On Monday, the USS Truman aircraft carrier, along with two destroyers and a cruiser, departed from Norfolk, Virginia, as part of a scheduled deployment.
Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group remains positioned in the Gulf of Oman. American military presence in the Middle East has increased since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
In response to ongoing hostilities, Israel escalated its offensive against Hezbollah on Monday.
The previous week saw Israel dismantle communication devices used by Hezbollah, including pagers and walkie-talkies, and launched significant airstrikes targeting military infrastructure. A key airstrike resulted in the death of Ibrahim Aqil, commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit.
On Monday, the Israeli Air Force conducted over 1,100 strikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and reported by the Times of Israel.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi emphasized the significant damage to Hezbollah’s infrastructure, stating that the IDF is dismantling structures that had been constructed over two decades.
“This morning, the IDF initiated a proactive offensive operation. We are systematically destroying military infrastructure that Hezbollah has spent 20 years building. This is a major development,” Halevi explained.
Since this morning, the Israeli Air Force has struck more than 1,100 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the IDF says.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 23, 2024
IAF fighter jets and drones launched more than 1,400 munitions at the Hezbollah targets, which according to the IDF included buildings and other sites where Hezbollah… pic.twitter.com/e9cAZFOoCl
“We are targeting key assets and preparing for the next phases of action… Ultimately, the goal is to create conditions that allow the displaced residents of northern Israel to return home,” he added.
The IDF reported that over 1,400 munitions were launched at Hezbollah targets identified as threats, which could have been used against Israel.
The airstrikes are expected to continue throughout Monday night.
As tensions rise, the U.S. State Department has advised American citizens in Lebanon to leave the country amid the intensifying conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, as noted by the AP.