US Deploys Additional 10,000 Troops to Middle East Region

US Deploys Additional Troops to Middle East

The United States is set to deploy approximately 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East by the end of April, according to sources quoted in The Washington Post. The deployment includes around 6,000 troops on board the USS George HW Bush carrier and its accompanying ships, as well as an estimated 4,200 troops from the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked Marine Corps task force.

The move is part of a broader effort to increase pressure on Iran, with current and former US officials speaking on condition of anonymity. The deployment brings the total number of US personnel involved in operations against Iran since February 28 to around 50,000.

The USS George HW Bush is expected to arrive near the end of the month, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald Ford, which are already operating in the region. The increased presence of carriers in the area will reach three.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that a naval blockade imposed by the US has been fully implemented, with American forces reportedly halting economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea. However, maritime tracking data suggests that some ships have still managed to cross the Strait of Hormuz despite the blockade.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced plans for new talks with Iran in Pakistan over the next two days, following a recent negotiating session that ended without a breakthrough. The US-Iran ceasefire, which was declared last week, is set to expire on April 22.

Source: Al Jazeera