The Pentagon is slated to request several thousand more U.S. troops be deployed to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News on Wednesday. Tensions between Washington and Tehran came to a head after President Trump ordered warships and bombers to the Middle East earlier this month to counter unspecified threats to U.S. interests. Trump administration officials on Tuesday briefed Congress about the tensions with Iran, saying they were focused on trying to deter attacks and avoid a war. “Our biggest focus at this point is to prevent Iranian miscalculation,” Acting Defense Secretary Parick Shanahan told reporters after the briefing. “We’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a campaign rally.

Source: Fox News May 22, 2019 23:26 UTC