The Pentagon is dispatching an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East in response to recent attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman that the United States blames on Iran.
"The recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable, credible intelligence we have received on hostile behavior by Iranian forces and their proxy groups that threaten United States personnel and interests across the region," acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan said in a statement.
The additional forces are "for defensive purposes to address air, naval, and ground-based threats in the Middle East," the statement added. They are in addition to reinforcements of 1,500 personnel sent to the region late last month along with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier battle group.
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine