US forces being readied for Middle East but no decision to deploy, Pentagon says

PHOTO CAPTION: Representational photo — An M997A3 Tactical Humvee Ambulance is seen during a training exercise, Fort Hood, Texas, Jan. 27, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Daniel Herman via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 2,000 U.S. military personnel have been placed on a heightened state of readiness given "the evolving security environment in the Middle East," but no decision has been made to deploy them, the U.S. Department of Defense said on Tuesday.

The deployment of the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, which is nearing the end of its six-month deployment to the U.S. European Command area, would be extended, Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in the statement.



(Reporting by Susan Heavey)