OREANDA-NEWS. The US Department of Defense is considering the possibility of additional sending 4-7 thousand troops to the Middle East to counter Iran in the region. This was reported on Thursday by CNN, citing sources in military circles. On Wednesday, the head of the Pentagon press service, Alyssa Farah, denied the information of the American newspaper, which reported with reference to U.S. officials that the Washington administration is considering increasing its military presence in the Middle East by deploying 14,000 troops and dozens of ships to counter Iran.

According to the American media, the redeployment of troops may be due to the need to strengthen air defense in connection with the increased threat from Tehran’s actions in the region, including those related to the delivery of missiles to Iraq. It's noted that discussions are currently being held at the Pentagon about exactly what additional military capabilities are needed in the Middle East, as well as about the duration of the contingent's stay in the region.

It's noted that the United States can use its ground, air and naval forces to strengthen its presence. It's possible that at the first stage 3-4 thousand troops will be redeployed.