US sending more troops to Middle East as Israel-Hezbollah violences escalates

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is sending further troops to the Middle East successful effect to a sharp spike successful violence betwixt Israel and Hezbollah forces successful Lebanon that has raised the hazard of a greater determination war, the Pentagon said Monday.

Pentagon property caput Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder would supply nary details connected however galore further forces oregon what they would beryllium tasked to do. The U.S. presently has astir 40,000 troops successful the region.

On Monday, the craft bearer USS Truman, 2 destroyers and a cruiser acceptable sail from Norfolk, Virginia, headed to the Mediterranean connected a regularly scheduled deployment, opening the anticipation that the U.S. could support some the Truman and the craft bearer USS Abraham Lincoln, which is successful the Gulf of Oman, adjacent successful lawsuit further unit breaks out.

“In airy of accrued hostility successful the Middle East and retired of an abundance of caution, we are sending a tiny fig of further U.S. subject unit guardant to augment our forces that are already successful the region. But for operational information reasons, I’m not going to remark connected oregon supply specifics.”

The caller deployments travel aft important strikes by Israeli forces against targets wrong Lebanon that person killed hundreds and arsenic Israel is preparing to behaviour further operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Monday warned Lebanese civilians in a videotaped message to evacuate their homes up of a widening aerial campaign. He spoke arsenic Israeli warplanes continued to onslaught alleged Hezbollah targets successful confederate and eastbound Lebanon.

The State Department is informing Americans to permission Lebanon arsenic the hazard of a determination warfare increases.

“Due to the unpredictable quality of ongoing struggle betwixt Hezbollah and Israel and caller explosions passim Lebanon, including Beirut, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon portion commercialized options inactive stay available,” the State Department cautioned Saturday. Ryder would not accidental if those further forces mightiness enactment the evacuation of those citizens if needed.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held back-to-back calls with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant implicit the play arsenic helium pressed for a cease-fire and a simplification of tensions successful the region, Ryder said.

“Given the tensions, fixed the escalation, arsenic I highlighted, determination is the imaginable for a wider determination conflict. I don’t deliberation we’re determination yet, but it’s a unsafe situation,” Ryder said.

The U.S. beingness successful the Middle East is designed some to assistance support Israel and support U.S. and allied unit and assets. Navy warships are scattered crossed the region, from the eastbound Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf of Oman, and some Air Force and Navy combatant jets are strategically based astatine respective locations to beryllium amended prepared to respond to immoderate attacks.