Central Command declines to discuss details of deployment
The Pentagon is sending additional forces and medical personnel to the Middle East as President Donald Trump weighs next steps in the war with Iran, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The preparations come amid rising concerns in Washington about the conflict’s endgame and mounting costs, and days after three U.S. soldiers were killed in an Iranian attack over the weekend.
The Pentagon referred questions about the troop movements to U.S. Central Command, which declined to discuss details, citing operational security.
The war has also disrupted global oil markets. The closing of chokepoints at the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea’s Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Black Sea collectively imperils roughly a quarter of the world’s oil supply, the Journal reported. Crude oil prices have jumped above $95 a barrel.
The surge in forces and medical personnel is the latest sign that the administration is preparing for potential further military operations even as domestic debate over the war’s trajectory continues. The number of U.S. troops killed in the conflict has become a concern in Washington.