(NewsNation) — The U.S. is deploying 300 additional troops to the Middle East, though the Pentagon said the service members will not be going to Israel.
Department of Defense press secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder announced the deployment in a press briefing but declined to comment on the specifics beyond saying the troops would not go to Israel.
Ryder said the troops were sent to support regional deterrence and bolster force protection capabilities.
The move comes as U.S. troops in the Middle East have faced attacks from Iranian-backed proxy groups in the region. At least 27 attacks on U.S. troops have been reported, with 16 occurring in Iraq and 11 in Syria.
In a Senate hearing Tuesday, several Republican senators pressed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the issue of Iran and the potential for escalating conflict in the region as Israel continues its war against Hamas.
Austin declined to state a specific red line that would lead the U.S. to attack Iran directly but told senators the U.S. is prepared to respond to attacks “in the time and manner of our choosing.”
Previously, the U.S. conducted airstrikes on two sites in Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which the Pentagon stressed were unrelated to the war in Israel.
The fight between Israel and Hamas has prompted fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran has a long history of backing Hamas along with other extremist groups in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
The U.S. has repeatedly indicated it does not want the conflict to escalate beyond Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. Fears that a second front could open have grown as Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israel, and there are reports of increased settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
While U.S. officials have repeatedly stressed a desire to contain the conflict, President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have also warned Iran that the U.S. is prepared to retaliate to attacks on Americans abroad.