WASHINGTON: The US military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three people with knowledge of the move.
The deployment is the latest addition of American troops after US officials said last week that thousands of Marines aboard several navy ships would head to the region.
While the Marine units are trained in missions that include supporting US embassies, evacuating civilians and disaster relief, the soldiers of the 82nd Airborne are trained to parachute into hostile territory to secure key areas and airfields.
On Tuesday (March 24), Israeli airstrikes battered Iran as Iranian missiles and drones struck sites across the Mideast.
Lebanese militant fire into northern Israel killed a woman, medics said, marking the first death inside Israel from cross-border drone and missile attacks in the war.
The Health Ministry reported that strikes late Tuesday wounded dozens, with the overall toll reaching three dead and 18 wounded in Nabatiyeh province, six dead and five wounded in Sidon, and 29 wounded in Tyre.
Since March 2, Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,072 and injured 2,966 people, including 121 children and 81 women.
Alluding to progress in talks with Iran, US President Donald Trump claimed Iran shared an oil- and gas-related "present," a day after telling reporters the nation is eager for a deal to end the war.
Meanwhile, the Cyprus government is upset after being kept in the dark regarding an Iranian-made Shahed drone strike on a British air base on its southern coastline on March 2.
The Cypriot government now wants to re-evaluate the status of Britain's two bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
On Tuesday, the British warship HMS Dragon was making its way toward waters off Cyprus to offer additional protection from potential attacks. - AP
