The U.S. is deploying additional troops to the Middle East in response to escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, raising concerns of a broader regional conflict, the Pentagon announced Monday.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder declined to provide specific details on the number of additional forces or their missions but confirmed that the U.S. already has approximately 40,000 troops stationed in the region.
On Monday, the aircraft carrier USS Truman, along with two destroyers and a cruiser, departed Norfolk, Virginia, heading to the Mediterranean on a scheduled deployment. This move opens the possibility that both the Truman and the USS Abraham Lincoln, currently in the Gulf of Oman, could remain nearby as tensions rise.
"In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces already in the region," Ryder said. However, he refrained from providing further specifics, citing operational security.
The deployments come in the wake of major Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, which have resulted in significant casualties. As Israel prepares for further operations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese civilians to evacuate their homes ahead of an expanded air campaign. Israeli warplanes continue to hit alleged Hezbollah strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has issued warnings to American citizens in Lebanon, advising them to leave as the risk of a regional war grows.
* VIN news contributed to this article.