US deploying more defensive capabilities to Middle East, defense secretary says

Pentagon leaders appear before Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Defense Department budget, in Washington

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's budget request for the Department of Defense, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo

Source: REUTERS

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday he had ordered the deployment of additional defensive capabilities to the Middle East, as the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran drives regional tensions higher.

Hegseth did not disclose what military capabilities he sent to the region. But Reuters was the first to report earlier on Monday a deployment of a large number of U.S. military refueling aircraft and the movement of an aircraft carrier to the Middle East.

"Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region," Hegseth said in a post on social media platform X.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters