(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In a significant move amid escalating tensions, the United States is spiking its military presence in the Middle East and advising Americans to evacuate Lebanon as US-ally Israel intensifies its conflict with the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah.
On Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced the troop deployment but withheld specific details about the numbers and roles of these additional forces, citing the need for “operational security.”
These troops will join the already substantial number of 40,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in the region, The New York Post reports.
“In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region,” Ryder explained.
The augmentation seems to include naval forces, highlighted by the earlier-than-planned deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group from Norfolk, Virginia, on Monday.
This move aims to reinforce the U.S. naval presence in the Middle East, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
This naval buildup comes amid ongoing Israeli military actions against Hamas in Gaza and escalated operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Concurrently, the State Department issued a stern warning to U.S. citizens in Lebanon, urging them to depart the increasingly unstable country while commercial travel options are still available.
“Due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut, the US Embassy urges US citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available,” stated the updated advisory from the State Department.
It noted that although commercial flights are currently operational, their availability could cease if the security situation deteriorates further.
This advisory follows the chaos experienced by hundreds of Americans in Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which led to significant reductions in flights and airport closures due to safety concerns.
The situation forced the State Department to charter jets to evacuate U.S. citizens who faced considerable difficulties securing commercial travel as Israel declared war on Hamas.
The backdrop to these precautionary measures includes Israel’s intensified attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, starting with a significant Mossad operation on Sept. 17, which resulted in approximately 2,800 casualties and at least 12 deaths.
Israel’s ongoing military actions are a response to Hezbollah’s frequent attacks on northern Israel, which began shortly after the Oct. 7 incident and have displaced thousands of people.
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