us to deploy 3,500 paratroopers to the Middle East in response to threats
thousands of additional paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division will soon deploy to US
Central Command area of responsibility a Defense Department spokesman confirmed to
u.s. military news the deployment comes in response to threats of retaliation from Iran
for the killing of top military commander Kasim sulemani in the American airstrike on Thursday
night the killing of sulemani marks a dramatic escalation of the shadow war between Iran and
the United States that hit a boiling point last week when pro-iranian militiamen attacked the US
Embassy in Iraq following an American airstrike on the iran-backed khateeb Hezbollah militia US
Marines landed in the NBC on New Year's Eve to deter protesters and militiamen well 750
paratroopers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team 82nd Airborne Division deployed to
Kuwait on standby in case further help was needed the new deployment will include the
rest of the 1st BCT or roughly 3,500 soldiers according to Military Times which reports that
the majority of the paratroopers will act as a response force for regional threats
the brigade will deploy to Kuwait as an appropriate and precautionary action in
response to increase threat levels against US personnel and facilities and will assist
in reconstitute in the reserve a Defense Department spokesman told task and purpose
the United States has already dispatched about 14,000 additional troops to the Middle East
since May Reuters reports reports of the deployment came shortly after Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo declared the world a much safer place following sulemani z' death I can
assure you that Americans in the region are much safer today after the demise of suleimani Pompeo
told reporters on Friday so and I can assure you that Americans in the region are much safer today
after the demise of Qasem Soleimani and you know as for the protests that you described there's
no doubt Iranian leaders appeared to disagree al Jazeera reported that is Malkani sulemani
successor as chief of Iran's elite hoods force stated that soon the US will witness the bodies
of Americans in all of the Middle East the US military presence across the CENTCOM region is
massive but it wasn't clear early Friday afternoon what other branches of the military were doing to
prepare for possible retaliation from Iran the US Navy's 5th fleet for example is based in Bahrain
which has a significant Shiite population and a Hezbollah presence a fifth fleet spokesperson
declined to comment on specific plans in place for preparing for possible Iran threats wrote
commander Joshua Frey to u.s. military news we remain vigilant to assess threats and are
monitoring developments in the region closely in concert with our Bahraini hosts we maintain
robust capability to defend ourselves we do not discuss specific force protection measures
you