WASHINGTON — President Trump ordered the immediate deployment of 10,000 additional U.S. troops and a third Navy aircraft carrier to the Middle East after a supertanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz following an attack, the Pentagon confirmed.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group will transit from the Mediterranean to U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, bringing total U.S. military personnel in the region to over 50,000. Trump condemned the incident from the Oval Office as an "act of aggression" and said the U.S. would defend "freedom of navigation and ensure the safety of our personnel."
Defense Secretary Robert Lighthizer said the deployments are intended to bolster regional deterrence and protect U.S. interests in the strategic waterway, which handles a critical share of global oil shipments.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats immediately called for a classified briefing on the intelligence surrounding the attack. "We need to understand the full picture before we commit additional resources," Schumer said.
The deployments will require substantial funding. House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger said she would consider an emergency appropriations request, but progressive Democrats, led by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, voiced concerns about potential mission creep and long-term costs. "We cannot simply throw more troops at every regional crisis," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Lighthizer is scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday to detail the deployments and threat assessment. Congress may debate resolutions authorizing military force if tensions escalate.
The State Department initiated consultations with Gulf nations to coordinate a response and de-escalate tensions. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft called for an emergency Security Council meeting to discuss the incident.
