The Pentagon announced on Monday that the U.S. will send 1000 additional troops to the Middle East, amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
The extra troops had been requested by U.S. Central Command to address air, naval, and ground-based threats in the Middle East, according to acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
The decision comes after last week's attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman that the U.S. blamed on Iran.
Following Tehran's announcement on Monday that it will increase its stock of enriched uranium over the limit set by its 2015 nuclear deal within 10 days, the U.S. National Security Council said that this was nuclear blackmail that must be met with increased international pressure.