U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper said he believed the U.S. military had sufficient capability in the Middle East for now to deter conflict, dismissing a media report that a major troop increase was under consideration amid tension with Iran.
Esper, speaking to a small group of reporters, did not rule out rotations of forces or even minor increases in the future.
“But nothing in terms of the numbers – 14,000 – it’s just a completely false report,” Esper said as he flew to California a defence forum at the Reagan Library.
He added that he regularly reviews requests but stressed that “right now, there is no 14,000-person request to deploy forces.”
Esper’s remarks on the issue were the most extensive since the Pentagon on Wednesday strongly denied a Wall Street Journal report that the United States was considering sending as many as 14,000 additional troops to the region.
Via Reuters
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