WASHINGTON—The Pentagon is rapidly expanding its forces in the Middle East as the U.S. military continues airstrikes against Houthi militants in Yemen and steps up its pressure on Iran, the Defense Department said Tuesday.
President Trump has threatened in recent days to bomb Iran if Tehran doesn’t make a deal to roll back its nuclear program. But two officials said that the aim of the additional forces is to bolster the U.S. campaign in Yemen and deter Iran. The deployments aren’t preparation for an imminent Iran attack, the officials said.
The buildup includes F-35 combat jets, which are joining B-2 bombers and Predator drones in the region, according to U.S. officials familiar with the planning.
The U.S. will soon have two carrier strike groups in the region—the USS Harry S. Truman, which has been operating in the Middle East since last fall, and USS Carl Vinson, which is usually assigned to Asia and is expected to arrive within two weeks.
