Report: US Mulling 14,000 More Troops for Mideast

Arab World

December 5th, 5:39am

Asharq Al-Awsat

FILE PHOTO: US soldiers surveil the area during a combined joint patrol in Manbij, Syria, November 1, 2018. Courtesy Zoe Garbarino/US Army/Handout via REUTERS /File Photo

The United States is weighing sending up to 14,000 more troops to the Middle East in the face of a perceived threat from Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The mulled deployment would include "dozens" more ships and double the number of troops added to the US force in the region since the beginning of this year, the Journal said, citing unnamed US officials. It said President Donald Trump could make a decision on the troop boost as early as this month. A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the report to AFP. The move would come after a series of attacks on shipping vessels and a drone and missile attack on Saudi oil installations in September blamed on Iran. Earlier Wednesday Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the country was willing to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear program if the United States first drops sanctions, which have hampered the country's economy and may have contributed to recent domestic turmoil sparked by fuel price hikes.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2021801/report-us-mulling-14000-more-troops-mideast