READY FOR WAR

U.S. Military Requests 5,000 More Troops in Middle East

The Pentagon is said to be considering the request as tensions between Tehran and Washington increase.

As tension with Iran grows, the U.S. military has asked for 5,000 more troops to be sent to the Middle East. Reuters reports the U.S. Department of Defense is considering the request from U.S. Central Command, but it’s not clear if the request will be granted. An official said the requested troops would be defensive in nature after the U.S. said it had detected an “increased threat” from Iran. The Pentagon refused to comment. Tehran and Washington have been at each other’s throats this month after President Trump decided to push to cut Iran’s oil exports to zero and beef up the U.S. military presence in the Gulf. The Trump administration hasn’t publicly disclosed evidence of the supposed threat.