Tasnim – The United States is sending hundreds of troops to Saudi Arabia, two Defense Department officials said.

The roughly 500 troops are part of a broader tranche of forces sent to the region over the past two months after tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated.

CNN first reported the plans to deploy more troops on Wednesday night. Defense Department officials confirmed the plans, speaking only on the condition of anonymity because they were not yet public.

Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said there was “no official announcement” of the deployment, but the American military “continually works to manage our force posture in the region.”

The Trump administration has sent 2,000 troops to the region.