From the Liveblog of
Sunday, September 29, 2024
US boosts ‘defensive’ air support and hikes troops’ readiness to deploy for Middle East
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has authorized the military to reinforce its presence in the Middle East with “defensive” air-support capabilities and put other forces on a heightened readiness status, the Pentagon says.
Austin has “increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies,” Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder says in a statement.
The statement does not detail what new aircraft will be deploying to the region.
“Secretary Austin made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people,” Ryder adds.
