40,000 U.S. Troops in the Middle East to Protect Israel

The Pentagon confirms that the increased U.S. presence in the region is a deterrent message to Iran and an attempt to contain tensions.

17th August 2024

3 minutes read

40,000 U.S. Troops in the Middle East to Protect Israel

The United States Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced on Thursday that “40,000 U.S. soldiers are currently deployed in the Middle East, compared to about 34,000 in normal circumstances,” amidst unprecedented tension in the region due to the conflict between Israel and Iran, following the fallout from the Gaza war and the assassination of the political bureau chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh.

Tom Croson, a Pentagon spokesman, stated that “there are about 40,000 U.S. soldiers currently in the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command,” adding, “There are usually around 34,000 soldiers in the region.”

For her part, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters, “The department continues to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East,” noting that the U.S. has strengthened its military posture and capabilities across the Middle East to defend Israel and U.S. forces.

She added, “The U.S. government also remains very focused on securing a ceasefire as part of the hostage deal to bring all hostages home and end the war in Gaza.”

When asked whether Iran would retaliate against Israel and how the Pentagon assesses threats from its proxies in the region, Singh said she “would not engage in speculation about if or when that might happen.”

She continued, “What I can say is that we have increased and strengthened our regional presence so that we can send a deterrent message: we do not want to see this expand into a regional war, and when it comes to attacks on our forces, we always take the necessary measures to respond.”

She added, “If there are any attacks on our forces, whether in Iraq or Syria, we always reserve the right to respond at a time and place of our choosing.”

On Sunday evening, the Pentagon revealed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered the deployment of a guided-missile submarine to the Middle East and expedited the arrival of a carrier strike group to the region, as part of U.S. efforts to deter Iran and its proxies amid escalating regional tensions.

According to a statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Austin assured his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant during a phone call of his country’s commitment to taking “every possible step” to defend Israel.

To reinforce this commitment, the U.S. Defense Secretary ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to expedite its transition to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, according to Ryder.

Additionally, Austin ordered the USS Georgia guided-missile submarine to head to the CENTCOM area as well.

The bolstering of U.S. capabilities in the Middle East comes as Israel anticipates retaliatory actions from Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas following the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31 and that of senior Hezbollah official Fouad Shukr in Beirut the previous day.

With U.S. support, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has resulted in over 132,000 Palestinian casualties, mostly children and women, and more than 10,000 missing persons, amidst massive destruction and a deadly famine.

In defiance of the international community, Tel Aviv continues the war, ignoring the United Nations Security Council’s resolution calling for its immediate cessation and the International Court of Justice’s orders to prevent acts of genocide and to improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.