The Pentagon is expected to send thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, adding to a massive U.S. military buildup even as President Donald Trump talks about a possible deal with Tehran to end the war, APA reports.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not specify where in the Middle East the troops would go or when they would arrive in the region. The soldiers are stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The U.S. military referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
No decision had been made to send troops into Iran itself, one of the sources told Reuters, but they will build up capacity for potential future operations in the region.
One of the sources said the Pentagon was set to send between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers.
The soldiers' deployment follows Reuters' March 20 report about the U.S. decision to send thousands of Marines and sailors aboard the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, along with its Marine Expeditionary Unit and accompanying warships to the Middle East.
Prior to the additional forces being sent to the region, there were 50,000 U.S. troops there. News of reinforcements comes just a day after Trump postponed threats to bomb Iranian power plants, saying there had been "productive" talks with Iran.
