Iran Press/America: Patrick Shanahan pointed to baseless allegations that Iran is behind attacks against two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, to justify the measure.
"In response to a request from the US Central Command for additional forces, and with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and in consultation with the White House, I have authorized approximately 1,000 additional troops for defensive purposes to address air, naval, and ground-based threats in the Middle East," CNN cited Shanahan statement as saying.
Shortly before the announcement the Pentagon released a detailed set of photos that it said showed Iranian boats removing a mine from one of two tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman on June 13. The US attributes the attack to Iran.
Tehran has time and again said that it does not seek military confrontations with the United States, yet stands ready to defend its interests in the region.
"The action today is being taken to ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region and to protect our national interests," Shanahan said. "We will continue to monitor the situation diligently and make adjustments to force levels as necessary given intelligence reporting and credible threats."
One US official says the deployment will include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and missile defense for force protection.
As tensions intensify, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced Monday that she would travel to Washington for meetings on Tuesday. As she called for calm, she cited Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, who said recently that the world cannot afford another crisis in the Middle East.
"Maximum restraint and wisdom should be applied," Mogherini said.
Apart from the United Kingdom, European governments have not echoed the US claim that Iran was behind the attack on the two tankers. "We have to be very, very careful here," said one European diplomat. "I'm not saying that I don't share their assessment," the diplomat said of the Trump administration, "I'm just saying that so far, we have not decided where we are at, basically, we're still gathering information."
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