Title : Top U.S. general in the Middle East says Iran is an IMMINENT threat to his troops
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Top U.S. general in the Middle East says Iran is an IMMINENT threat to his troops
Top U.S. general in the Middle East says Iran is an IMMINENT threat to his troops as intelligence sources reveal how U.S. spies watched Tehran's forces place cruise missiles on civilian boats
- Marine General Frank McKenzie told NBC News the threat from Iran and its proxies are 'imminent'
- 'I don't actually believe the threat has diminished,' McKenzie said after meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and Iraqi defense chief
- President Donald Trump announced 1,500 troops were being deployed to the Middle East tp beef up forces
- The move came after intelligence that Iran told its proxy forces they could now target American military personnel and assets
- The president has been careful not to escalate tensions with Tehran
- Trump wants to maintain his campaign promise to get troops home and keep America out of wars
A top Marine commander in the Middle East says he believes there could be an impending attack from Iran or Iranian proxies.
'I think the threat is imminent,' Marine General Frank McKenzie told NBC News in an interview in Baghdad that will air Thursday night.
'We continually evaluate our force posture in the region,' he continued.
McKenzie said tensions between the U.S. and Iran have continued to increase, especially since last month when the U.S. moved an aircraft carrier group in the region after receiving information of a looming threat of Iranian attack.
President Donald Trump's administration also announced in May it would be sending Air Force bombers to the Middle East and beefing up troop presence in the region.
Marine General Frank McKenzie said he believes the threat from Iran and its proxies on his troops in the Middle East 'is imminent'
An aircraft carrier group and fighter aircraft squadron was moved as tensions with Tehran continued to increase after intelligence emerged of a possible Iranian attack
A Patriot anti-missile battalion was also deployed after forces received intel that Iran told some of its proxy forces they could target American military personnel and assets
The decision was based a lot on intelligence that Iran told some of its proxy forces that they should target American military personnel and assets.
'I don't actually believe the threat has diminished,' McKenzie said after following a series of meetings with the Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and Iraqi defense chief.
'I think we're still in the period of what I would call tactical warning,' McKenzie continued. 'I believe the threat is still very real.'
He declined to go into specifics of the nature of the threats.
In May there were several reports that the Trump administration could be sending upwards of 100,000 more troops to the Middle East in rising escalations with Iran.
Later in the month Trump told reporters that the U.S. was only sending 1,500 troops to help provide protection for troops already deployed in the Middle East amid heightened tensions with Tehran.
Trump said last month he was sending 1,500 troops to beef up military presence in the Middle East – but it was a huge decrease from reports that said the administration was considering sending more than 100,000 troops to the region
Trump has been cautious not to escalate tensions with the Middle Eastern nation due to his campaign promise to get troops back to America and not getAmerica involved in wars
'We want to have protection,' Trump told reporters at the White House May 24. He said deploying the aircraft carrier group, fighter aircraft squadron and Patriot anti-missile battalion was 'to provide additional deterrence and depth to our aviation response options.'
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said the request for more forces and equipment came from U.S. Central Command.
'[The request is to] improve our force protection and safeguard U.S. forces given the ongoing threat posed by Iranian forces, including the IRGC and its proxies,' Shanahan said.
Trump has been hesitant to get into a war with Iraq because he made a campaign promise to voters that he would get troops home and work to keep America out of wars.
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