(ABC) – An additional 1,500 U.S. troops and increased defensive capabilities are being sent to the Middle East to continue to help deter Iran, a U.S. official said on Friday. President Donald Trump confirmed the 1,500 figure as he left the White House Friday afternoon as he left for a trip to Japan, calling it a “relatively small number.” “We want to have protection,” he told reporters. “We’ll be sending a relatively small number of troops — mostly protective.
Some very talented people are going to the Middle East, right now. We’ll see what happens.” “I don’t think Iran wants to fight,” he said.”And I certainly don’t think they want to fight with us. They cannot have nuclear weapons and under the Obama horrible agreement, they would have had nuclear weapons within five or six years. They can’t have nuclear weapons. They understand that,” FULL REPORT
