Tracking the US military build-up today in the Middle East
An up-to-date accounting of the Pentagon’s response to the Israel-Gaza conflict so far.
REPORTING | MIDDLE EAST
Regions Middle East Pentagon
CONNOR ECHOLS
OCT 25, 2023
The U.S. has significantly increased its military presence in the Middle East in the nearly three weeks after Hamas launched attacks against Israel and took hundreds of hostages on Oct. 7. Among other things, the Pentagon has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups as well as a range of fighter aircraft to the region.
The official reason for the new deployments is to deter Hamas’s allies, including Iran and Hezbollah, from launching attacks against Israel and sparking a wider regional war. That logic will be put to the test in the coming days if Israel follows through on its planned ground invasion of Gaza, which is sure to face sharp condemnation from throughout the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has accused Iranian-backed militias of carrying out a series of attacks against the roughly 3,400 U.S. forces that remain in Syria and Iraq; 24 U.S. personnel have been injured so far. In total, reports say there are currently about 35,000 U.S. troops throughout the region, though most are stationed at bases in the Gulf, far away from the fighting.
Below is a full timeline of new, publicly reported deployments of U.S. troops and military assets to the region since October 7. RS will continue to update this tracker as the crisis continues.
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/us-troops-israel-gaza-2666062447/
