U.S. Will Send More Defensive Military Capabilities to Middle East

More defensive military capabilities will deploy to the Middle East to bolster force protection for U.S. troops in the region and to defend Israel, said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh today.

The deployment will be in response to threats from Iran and Iranian-backed militias, Singh said.

Following the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, the United States pledged to help defend the nation. In April, when Iran and Iranian-backed groups launched strikes at Israel, the United States led a coalition that helped defend the country from armed drones and missiles.

Singh said the commitment for more defense capabilities in the region comes from conversations last night between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This morning, Secretary of the Defense Lloyd J. Austin III followed up on those conversations with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, she said.

"We've demonstrated since October and again in April [that] the United States's global defense is dynamic, and the department retains the capability to deploy on short notice to meet evolving national security threats," she said. "As a result, the secretary will be directing multiple, forthcoming force-posture moves to bolster force protection for U.S. forces regionwide, to provide elevated support to the defense of Israel and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to this evolving crisis."

What forces and/or units will deploy remains to be determined. Singh said the United States already has robust defensive capabilities in the region, and those forces may be redeployed within theater. White House officials said, however, that there will be "new" capabilities for the region.

Biden and Austin have been in close coordination on this effort, Singh said. "The secretary will be directing forthcoming force-posture moves to bolster our force protection," she said.

Singh stressed any capabilities will be purely defensive and will "send a message of deterrence."

The United States will continue to work with allies and partners to de-escalate the situation in the region. Allies and partners helped defeat the attacks in April, and a number of countries participate in Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea to keep that vital sea line of communication open, she said.

The defensive capabilities are all in support of deterrence and de-escalation, Singh said. "We're going to continue to urge for de-escalation, and the best way for that to happen is for this ceasefire deal to come through, so we can get American hostages out, as well," she said. "We believe that that would be the best way to de-escalate and further lower tensions in the region."