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The United States is deploying additional troops and more warships to the Middle East to counter Iran’s attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, cutting global oil supply.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved a request from the U.S. Central Command for an amphibious ready group and a Marine expeditionary unit, which comprises warships and 5,000 Marines and sailors.
In an update on Friday, CENTCOM confirmed the death of all crew members of the U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq.
The command said the aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace on March 12, noting that the circumstances of the incident are under investigation.
“The loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” it said. The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.
On Friday, President Recep Erdogan stated that Turkey was acting with great caution against traps and provocations aimed at dragging Turkey into war.
”We are focusing not only on the visible side of the events, but also on what is hidden behind the scenes,” he said. “We are ruling out no possibility and analyzing everything down to the finest detail.”
Noting that Turkey is entering a new period and must be “more proactive,” Erdogan advised the people to guard against “sectarian and ethnic provocations being stirred up with the attacks on Iran.”
US deploys more warships, marines as Iran blocks Strait of Hormuz
