WORLD

US TO SEND 1,500 MORE TROOPS TO MIDDLE EAST AMID TENSIONS WITH IRAN

25/05/2019 11:24 AM

WASHINGTON, May 25 (Bernama) -- The United States will send about 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East as a "protective measure" amid escalating tensions with Iran, US President Donald Trump said Friday.

The deployment is "relatively a small number of troops" and "we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters at the White House, Xinhua news agency reported.

US Acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan said later that the Pentagon has informed Congress about the new move. "This is a prudent response to credible threats from Iran," he tweeted.

Pentagon officials revealed in a briefing on Friday afternoon that about 600 troops have already arrived in the region with the Patriot battery, a defence system designed to track and destroy incoming missiles, while the remaining 900 troops will be deployed to mainly operate intelligence surveillance radar and drones.

In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday that the US deployment of military forces to the region does not intimidate the country.

"With hype and propaganda, the Americans attempt to stay relevant in public opinion," IRGC's spokesman Ramezan Sharif was quoted as saying by Press TV.

Also on Friday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in a statement that the Trump administration has invoked a seldom used provision in federal law to sidestep Congress and complete arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan, citing "threats" from Iran.

Twenty-two pending deals with a total value of approximately US$8.1 billion will bypass Congressional review after Pompeo's announcement, which has drawn severe objections from US lawmakers.

Washington and Tehran have been locked in a war of words over the past two weeks amid escalating tensions that had been stoked following America's military buildup in the Middle East.

Iran has vowed to withstand the US "bullying policies."

-- BERNAMA

 


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