On Friday, Iran threatened a more devastating military response to any future attack as the Pentagon prepares a major troop buildup in the Middle East and President Donald Trump reportedly considers resuming strikes after the November midterm elections.
Pentagon Deploys 10,000 More Troops As Trump Weighs Iran Strikes
The Pentagon is deploying a third aircraft-carrier strike group and an additional Marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East, adding approximately 9,000 to 10,000 troops to the region, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.
The deployment includes warships, fighter jets, Marines and sailors, all expected to arrive by the end of November.
Trump has reportedly told aides that he anticipates renewing bombing operations against Iran that month, following the midterm elections.
The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
Van Hollen Calls Iran Campaign An ‘Illegal War of Choice’
Responding to the reported military buildup, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) criticized the president’s handling of the conflict and accused him of withholding information about American military casualties.
“The President, who continues to hide service member casualties, is now sending up to another 10,000 troops to his illegal war of choice in Iran,” Van Hollen wrote on X on Friday.
He also cautioned against dismissing Trump’s reported plans for renewed military action, adding, “When Trump says he’s planning on renewing his war next month, believe him.”
The senator called on lawmakers to intervene, declaring, “Congress must cut off funding.”
Iran’s IRGC Threatens ‘Significantly More Lethal’ Response
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a warning Friday, marking the second anniversary of Operation True Promise 2, its Oct. 1, 2024, missile attack against Israel, as per Iran Wire.
The IRGC described the operation as retaliation for the assassinations of senior figures, including Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah and Abbas Nilforoushan. The force asserted that the attack demonstrated Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and challenged perceptions of U.S. and Israeli military superiority.
Warning that the “era of cost-free threats has ended,” the IRGC said any future aggression would trigger a “regrettable and painful response.”
It further threatened an action “significantly more lethal than Operation True Promise 2” against any threat or attack by the U.S., Israel, or their regional partners.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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