The U.S. decision to deploy more troops to the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran is “highly dangerous,” the Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif warned on Saturday.
“The U.S. move to increase its military presence in our region is highly dangerous and a threat against international peace and security,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told state news agency IRNA.
US President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. is sending 1,500 more troops in the Gulf region to counter Iran.
The new deployment will consist of surveillance aircraft, a fighter jet squadron and engineers to fortify buildings and other facilities. The military is also extending the deployment of a 600-person Patriot missile battalion in the region, defense officials said.
All told, the military is sending fewer than 1,000 more troops to the region, officials said.
“We want to have protection,” Trump said. “We’re going to be sending a relatively small number of troops, mostly protective.
