Iran Press/Middle East: The United States is immediately deploying 750 additional troops to the Middle East and more in the coming days after Iraqi protesters stormed the US Embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
Demonstrators attacked the US Embassy in Baghdad on December 31 to condemn US airstrikes two days earlier that killed at least 25 members of an Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces or Hashad al-Ahaabi, causing Iraqi security forces and compound guards to fire tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd, Iran Press reported.
Thousands of protesters converged on the US compound in response to the US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on December 29 that targeted members of the Kataib Hizbullah.
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Charging that Iran was “fully responsible” for the attack on the US Embassy in Iraq, President Donald Trump ordered about 750 US soldiers deployed to the Middle East as about 3,000 more prepared for possible deployment in the next several days.
Tehran denied it was behind the violent protests at the US Embassy and warned against any retaliation.
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'America has the surprising audacity of attributing to Iran the protests of the Iraqi people against Washington’s crimes in Iraq",
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi.
No US casualties or evacuations were reported after the attack on Tuesday. US Marines were sent from Kuwait to reinforce the compound.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday night that “in response to recent events” in Iraq, and at Trump's direction, he authorized the immediate deployment of the infantry battalion from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
He did not specify the soldiers’ destination, but a U.S. official familiar with the decision said they will go to Kuwait.
“This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against US personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today,” Esper said in a written statement.
Additional soldiers from the 82nd Airborne's quick-deployment brigade, known officially as its Immediate Response Force, were prepared to deploy, Esper said. The US official, who provided unreleased details on the condition of anonymity, said the full brigade of about 4,000 soldiers may deploy.
The 750 soldiers deploying immediately were in addition to 14,000 US troops who had deployed to the Persian Gulf region since May. Until May the US had about 5,200 troops in Iraq.
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