Defense officials ready 4,000 troops for deployment in Middle East

(Worthy News) – Three U.S. defense officials confirmed late Tuesday night that 4,000 troops from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division’s alert brigade are preparing to mobilize to the Middle East after protesters encircled the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad earlier in the day.

Iran-backed protesters chanted, “Death to America,” and set fires to the building in Baghdad after U.S. airstrikes left 25 dead last week. President Trump dispatched 100 Marines from neighboring Kuwait to protect the embassy.

The defense officials told Fox News that at least 500 paratroopers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, are being transported to Kuwait on Air Force C-17 cargo planes. There are already more than 60,000 troops stationed in the region, with over 14,000 being added this year, according to the Pentagon.