The US is sending additional troops to the Middle East and urging Americans to leave Lebanon as Israel moves toward all-out war with Iranian proxy terror group Hezbollah.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder made the deployment announcement on Monday, but provided no additional information regarding the number of additional troops or their intended mission, citing “operational security.”
The unknown number of forces would join the 40,000 troops already in the region.
“In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region,” Ryder said.
There were indications that at least some of the additional forces would come from the Navy, as the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group deployed east from Norfolk, Va. on Monday – about a month before they were originally scheduled to depart.
Should the ship arrive in the Middle East, it will bring the US back to a two-carrier presence in the region, as the USS Abraham Lincoln remains in the Arabian Sea amid Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza and increasing attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Also on Monday, the State Department urged US citizens in Lebanon to seek out ways to leave the volatile country while transportation options remain.
“Due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut, the US Embassy urges US citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available,” the State Department said in an updated advisory.
“At this time, commercial flights are available, but at reduced capacity. If the security situation worsens, commercial options to depart may become unavailable,” the statement added.
In the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, hundreds of Americans were stranded in Israel when flights were greatly reduced and airports closed due to safety precautions.
The State Department was ultimately forced to charter jets out of the country after US citizens reported extreme difficulty in finding commercial options as the Jewish state began its war on Hamas.
The precautionary decisions come as Israel stepped up its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon over the past week, beginning with Mossad’s impressive “exploding pager” attack on Sept. 17 that injured about 2,800 people and killed at least 12.
Israel has said the strikes are meant to force Hezbollah to halt its near-daily strikes on northern Israel, which started almost immediately after Oct. 7 and displaced thousands of people.
Despite the escalating violence, the Harris-Biden administration continues to press for a cease-fire and hostage deal to bring an end to the hostilities.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held two calls with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the weekend, Ryder said.
“Given the tensions, given the escalation, as I highlighted, there is the potential for a wider regional conflict,” he noted. “I don’t think we’re there yet, but it’s a dangerous situation.”
