United States extends deployment of its forces in the Middle East through 2027
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has extended the deployment of US forces in the Middle East through 2027, according to information revealed by The Wall Street Journal.
The move comes as part of military preparations for a continuation of the conflict with Iran, six months after the launch of the US campaign, according to people familiar with the matter.
When the war against Iran began, Hegseth had pledged to deliver a swift and decisive strike in order to avoid a prolonged conflict. The new deployments, however, form part of an open-ended military strategy designed to give President Donald Trump a range of options in the war.
The US military presence in the region includes 19 warships, air-defense units, fighter squadrons, and airborne forces.
50,000 troops on standby
Around 50,000 US troops remain on standby across the Middle East, providing President Trump with military options as the conflict continues.
According to people familiar with the matter, Trump in particular believes that his strategy will ultimately succeed, while the US Department of Defense continues to extend deployments and provide the president with military options.
This comes despite US President Donald Trump’s earlier assertion on Wednesday that the new US campaign against Iran would not last for long, following the largest exchange of fire between the two countries since July.
Trump told reporters at the White House that Iran had been attempting to develop a missile capable of dropping mines, but that the United States had destroyed it. He added that Iran was working to restore its radar and missile systems, which had also been targeted in US strikes.
“We destroyed all the new equipment they tried to build near the Strait of Hormuz, some of it defensive and some of it offensive… It was a very heavy attack last night, and we are ready to launch another attack whenever we want,” Trump said.
He added that the United States had struck Iran “very hard,” while Iran had responded with only “a light strike.”
US officials stressed that the United States had significantly weakened Iran’s conventional military capabilities and inflicted damage on an Iranian economy that was already facing severe difficulties.
