A senior US official told Fox News that the United States has transferred 'very special units' to the Middle East in numbers larger than those deployed in Afghanistan. The statement follows reports of a major US military buildup in the region, including special forces, fighter jets, and medical personnel, as The Zioneer reported minutes earlier.
A senior US official told Fox News late Wednesday that the United States has deployed 'very special units' to the Middle East in numbers exceeding those sent to Afghanistan. The claim adds a new dimension to the military buildup that The Zioneer has been tracking since Wednesday evening, when the first reports of a massive US force movement emerged.
At 20:19 Jerusalem on Wednesday, The Zioneer reported that the US had deployed special forces, fighter jets, strategic bombers, and hundreds of medical personnel to the region, in what was described as an unusual military expansion expanding President Trump's options against Iran. That report followed a series of updates within the same hour: a Wall Street Journal report citing flight tracking data and officials (version 3), a senior US official confirming the transfer of special forces (version 5), and analyst Yair Goldblatt linking the deployment to ensuring the success of an agreement (version 6). The initial reports were based on single sources; by 20:19, corroboration came from multiple channels including Israeli media and the WSJ.
As The Zioneer reported on July 18, over 50,000 US troops are already operating across the Middle East, with the US Army stating they remain 'vigilant, lethal, and ready.' Earlier background reporting noted a significant increase in US Air Force aircraft movements (July 17) and plans to send additional F-16 and F-35 jets (July 20). The official's comparison to Afghanistan — where the US peaked at around 100,000 troops, including thousands of special operators — suggests the current deployment is substantial, but the exact size, composition, and locations of the units remain undisclosed and unverified by independent sources.
10 developments
- DevelopingReport: US reinforcing forces in the Middle East
- DevelopingWSJ: US deploys special forces, places bombers on high alert for possible Iran escalation
- DevelopingSenior security sources: Trump growing pessimistic on Iran, US continues arming in the Middle East
- StrongTrump leans toward expanding operations against Iran, ynet reports
Source and signal
- Internal intake