The US Defense Department is moving additional assets to the Middle East region, a defense official told CNN, as Israel and the US brace for a potential Iranian attack on Israeli facilities in the country and the broader region.
The move is "to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for U.S. forces," according to the official.
The Pentagon has been working specifically to reinforce air defenses for the US troops stationed in Iraq and Syria, who came under attack by Iran-backed proxy forces over 100 times between October and February. In January, three US service members were killed when a drone got through US air defenses at the Tower 22 base in Jordan.
The US is not anticipating that Iran or its proxies will attack US forces as part of its retaliation, but are moving the assets just in case.