US to deploy thousands of additional troops to Middle East following Soleimani killing
The US will deploy thousands of additional troops to the Middle East as tensions with Iran mount following the airstrike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, a US defense official tells CNN.
The additional troops will come from the Immediate Response Force of the 82nd Airborne Division. CNN has previously reported that these forces had been placed on prepare-to deploy orders and would be sent to the region if the situation merited it.
Following the disturbance at the US Embassy in Baghdad earlier this week, the US deployed 750 troops from the same unit and said that additional deployments were possible.
The new deployment will encompass the rest of the brigade, typically about 3,000 soldiers.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-to-deploy-thousands-of-additional-troops-to-middle-east-following-soleimani-killing/ar-BBYAmOX?li=BBnb7Kz
Iran has a military of 550,000 active duty personnel and about 800,000 reserve. They would be fighting a defensive war on their own soil.
The 82nd Airborne is a decorated elite unit but we're going to need more than that if we go to war with Iran.