DEPLOYMENTS COME AS IRAN TENSIONS FLARE AFTER U.S. AIRSTRIKE IN BAGHDAD
CNN was first to report today that “several thousand” United States soldiers are right now being deployed to the Middle East. The troops are from the 82nd Airborne Division, which had already been placed on an alert standby status prior to the U.S. assassination by airstrike of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani as well as Naim Qassem, the second-in-command of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, in Baghdad yesterday.
Pentagon confirms 'Immediate Response Force' brigade of 82nd Airborne Div. is deploying to Kuwait. This will bring new US troop deployments to Middle East to about 18,000 since May.
— paul mcleary (@paulmcleary) January 3, 2020
CNN now reports, citing top U.S. military officials, that 750 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division had already been sent to Kuwait — now that group of 750 soldiers plus an additional 3,000 or more troops will join up in the region to be placed on high alert status.
There are fears of retaliation by Iran or its many proxy military groups in the region. The thousands of new troops are expected to head to Kuwait first, then be dispersed to various locations if a new level of crisis heats up, in the aftermath of the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad airport on January 2, 2020.
Iran has vowed “harsh revenge” after the death of its top general in overseas military affairs. This does not sound good at all.
JUST IN: The US will deploy thousands of additional troops to the Middle East as tensions with Iran mount following the airstrike that killed Qasem Soleimani, a US defense official tells CNN. https://t.co/Dcxoa7o9mA pic.twitter.com/cZV1xCRGt9
— CNN (@CNN) January 3, 2020