Trump denies sending troops to Mideast as tensions grow

Mohamed Abdel Ghaffar

The war of words continues to rage on between the United States and Iran, threatening a widening of the scope of tension in the region.

This is particularly true with US President Donald Trump insisting on disciplining Iran.

On May 14, Trump refuted reports by The New York Times that US military officials had discussed the dispatch of 120,000 troops to the Middle East.

He added at a press briefing at the White House that this news was fabricated.

The US president added, however, that his country could do this, but had not planned it.

He said the US would send far more troops to the Middle East if it had decided on this.

Observers consider, meanwhile, the statements of the US president to be a temporary denial of American plans to send troops to the region.

Controversial news

News of possible US plans to send troops to the Middle East invited the attention of a large number of people around the world.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed hopes on May 14 that this news would be mere rumors.

He added at a joint press briefing with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the Middle East region had enough tensions already.

Lavrov’s comments came after the US had sent the USS Abraham Lincolin aircraft carrier to the Arab Gulf.

On May 10, the US army sent warnings to the Iranian regime against targeting commercial shops in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

It said it would consider any attacks in this regard as a declaration of war.