US sends 3,500+ more troops to Middle East as Iran tensions escalate

DEPLOYMENTS COME AS IRAN TENSIONS FLARE AFTER U.S. AIRSTRIKE IN BAGHDAD

CNN was first to report today that "several thousand" United States soldiers are right now being deployed to the Middle East. The troops are from the 82nd Airborne Division, which had already been placed on an alert standby status prior to the U.S. assassination by airstrike of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani as well as Naim Qassem, the second-in-command of Lebanon's Hezbollah, in Baghdad yesterday.

CNN now reports, citing top U.S. military officials, that 750 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division had already been sent to Kuwait — now that group of 750 soldiers plus an additional 3,000 or more troops will join up in the region to be placed on high alert status.

There are fears of retaliation by Iran or its many proxy military groups in the region. The thousands of new troops are expected to head to Kuwait first, then be dispersed to various locations if a new level of crisis heats up, in the aftermath of the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad airport on January 2, 2020.

Iran has vowed "harsh revenge" after the death of its top general in overseas military affairs. This does not sound good at all.