U.S. Prepares Troops for Potential Deployment to Support Israel

The U.S. military has placed roughly 2,000 personnel and a range of units on a heightened state of readiness, “which increases DoD’s ability to respond quickly to the evolving security environment in the Middle East,” the Department of Defense said Tuesday. No decision to deploy the forces to support Israel has been made, the department said.

The troops aren’t intended to serve in a combat role, and are tasked with missions such as advising and medical support, defense officials said. They are from across the U.S. armed services. At least some could enter Israel to support Israeli forces, the officials said. The troops are currently stationed both in the Middle East and outside the region, including in Europe.