Three US service members have been just lately killed in Jordan by a drone assault launched by an Iran-backed militia. But why have been they there, and the place else does the US have troops within the area?
Tens of 1000’s of US army personnel are at the moment deployed throughout the Middle East — a area Washington has maintained a continuing presence in since 9/11 — for quite a lot of causes, starting from monitoring the Islamic State group and coaching native forces to countering Iran’s affect within the area.
In some instances, corresponding to in Israel and Oman, the US army is energetic, however it’s tough to get precise troop numbers. Washington additionally moved to spice up its property within the area amid the Israel-Gaza conflict, notably by way of naval energy within the Red Sea. Other than Syria, the US army has permission to be in each Middle Eastern nation the place its troops are current.