The White House has notified Congress that plans to deploy 1,500 troops to the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to flare, officials tell the Associated Press Friday.
Officials said members of Congress were notified following a White House meeting Thursday to discuss Pentagon proposals to bolster the U.S. force presence in the Middle East.
The officials spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because the troop plans have not yet been formally announced. The New York Times reports the Pentagon is expected to formally announce the plan Friday afternoon.
Earlier this week, officials had said that Pentagon planners had outlined plans that could have sent up to 10,000 military reinforcements to the region. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan later said planners hadn’t settled on a figure.
The U.S. began reinforcing its presence in the Persian Gulf region this month in response to what it said was a threat from Iran.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.