The US has increased its military presence in the Middle East by several thousand troops, sending an array of fighter jets and other aircraft to bolster the protection of US forces and allies.

The decision brings the total number of American troops in the region to as many as 43,000, including more than a dozen warships.

Israel’s recent surge in attacks in Lebanon, including strikes that killed Iran-backed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and several of his top commanders, and Iran’s firing of at least 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for that attack as well as others that killed Hamas and Iranian military leaders have fueled fears of all-out war in the Middle East.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has increased the readiness levels of additional US forces so they are prepared to deploy for any contingency, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon spokesman.

Risk to American forces has increased. US military leaders are now in “almost daily” discussions with their Israeli counterparts on what Tel Aviv’s response might be to Iran’s missile attack. And threats continue throughout Iraq, Syria and in the Red Sea, where Iranian-backed militias threaten US bases and commercial ships. “We have forces throughout the region,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. “Any type of action has potential impacts for our forces.”

Here’s a look at the US military presence in the Middle East:

Troops

Normally, about 34,000 US forces are deployed to US Central Command, which covers the entire Middle East. That number grew in the early months of the Israel-Hamas war to about 40,000 as additional ships and aircraft were sent in. It spiked to nearly 50,000 when Austin ordered two aircraft carriers and their accompanying warships to stay in the region as tensions roiled between Israel and Lebanon.

One carrier strike group has since left and moved into the Asia-Pacific. But the decision to send more aircraft is moving the troop total to roughly 43,000. The Pentagon recently said it was sending a small number of additional troops to the Middle East. Officials have not provided details about the deployment to Cyprus but have suggested the teams are part of ongoing preparations for any needs in the region, including the possibility of an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon.

The beefed-up presence is designed both to help defend Israel and protect US and allied personnel and assets. US officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of troop deployments.

Navy warships are scattered across the region, from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf of Oman, and both Air Force and Navy fighter jets are strategically based at several locations to be better prepared to respond to any attacks.

Warships

The US has one aircraft carrier in the region, the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been slated to leave around mid-October. Austin has extended its deployment for about another month, according to one of the officials. Austin has done the same to a few other carriers and warships in the region several times in the past year so that there has been the rare presence of two carriers at once.

A second carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, along with two destroyers and a cruiser, are in the Atlantic Ocean heading east. They will be in the European region in a few days and then travel into the Mediterranean Sea.

American military commanders have long argued that the presence of a formidable aircraft carrier — with its array of fighter jets and surveillance aircraft and sophisticated missiles — is a strong deterrent against Iran.

Read More Here