US Puts 2,000 Troops on Higher Alert as Israel Readies Assault
- Austin orders Ford aircraft carrier to extend deployment
- US looking to deter Iran ahead of Israeli attack plan
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The US put 2,000 troops on heightened alert and extended the deployment of an aircraft carrier in the Middle East as the Biden administration makes a show of deterrence ahead of Israel’s expected ground assault on Hamas.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin put the troops and several units on “a heightened state of readiness through a prepare to deploy order, which increases DoD’s ability to respond quickly to the evolving security environment in the Middle East,” Pentagon Deputy Spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said. “No decisions have been made to deploy any forces at this time.”